Jaz Brown’s path to the top of English netball was anything but conventional. A talented junior tennis player, she gave up the racket at 17 and discovered netball in a local league — trading a tennis skirt for a netball dress and filling in wherever a team needed her before settling into defence.
“It’s been a journey and a half,” Brown says, reflecting on a rise marked by setbacks as well as breakthroughs. Injuries, COVID interruptions and blunt criticism — including being told she wouldn’t make it as a professional — all tested her resolve. Brown points out how the English system can be unforgiving if you don’t stand out early, but says she used doubt as fuel rather than a roadblock.
Her progression was rapid. After club netball she moved into the Super League with Charnwood and then met coach Jo Tripp, who became a mentor and helped secure Brown’s first Super League contract with Severn Stars in 2023. She joined Birmingham Panthers for the 2025 season with Tripp as coach; both departed at the end of that year. In 2026 Brown is set to play for NIC Leeds Rhinos.
Brown made her England debut last month in a three-game series against New Zealand, playing in all three matches. The over-six-foot goalkeeper was thrown into a tough matchup against Kiwi shooter Grace Nweke but held her own alongside team-mate Funmi Fadoju. She described the debut as a near-perfect start and believes performing like that as a rookie signals more to come.
Having begun in an individual sport, Brown credits tennis with helping her cope when situations on court feel uncomfortable or high-pressure. That personal-sport experience, she says, has complemented the collaborative, tactical demands of elite netball.
Brown is blunt about advice for younger players facing similar doubts: keep going, ignore the naysayers and let results do the talking. She says that determination and mindset made the difference for her, and she encourages anyone in the same position to persevere.
As England’s Roses prepare for Commonwealth Games warm-ups, Brown could feature in the Vitality Netball Horizon Series against Jamaica. Two fixtures originally scheduled to be played in Jamaica were cancelled because of Hurricane Melissa; the series will now be two games in London at the Copper Box Arena:
Saturday December 13: England vs Jamaica, 2.15pm — Copper Box Arena, London
Sunday December 14: England vs Jamaica, 2pm — Copper Box Arena, London
Times remain subject to slight change for broadcast requirements.