Helen Housby is one of 29 players to have received a Roses programme agreement from England Netball for the 2019/20 international season.

These players will be considered for selection at a number of events in the international calendar.

Housby, from Drumleaning, near Wigton, is once again expected to be a key player for England's new-look side under new coach Jess Thirlby, having played a major role in helping England finish third at their recent home Netball World Cup in Liverpool.

The Roses programme offers multiple routes of entry, one being the full-time Roses programme (P1), another being the P2 route which offers English players in the Suncorp Super Netball and ANZ leagues the chance to join the Roses programme at key junctures, and the final one being the P3 option whereby athletes who can’t commit full-time can still gain selection for international events through a set selection process.

Housby, 24, Cumbria's reigning Sports Personality of the Year, is one of 25 players to have been selected into the P1 or P2 Roses programmes.

"I would like to congratulate all athletes on their selection into the Roses programme," said Thirlby. "It's wonderful to have so much talent in our Roses and futures programme.

"There are a lot of exciting international competitions for us to look forward to in the 2019/20 calendar, which I see as opportunities for us to expose both our experienced and newer talent to.

"I’m very much looking forward to working with this team as we head into another very exciting year for our sport.

"Each year of the Roses programme is critical for different reasons as we now start to look ahead and prepare for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the South Africa Netball World Cup in 2023."

England Netball performance director Sara Symington added: "We are delighted to be welcoming some new faces into the full-time Roses programme and to see many familiar faces still in the mix.

"At the end of each four-year cycle, we spend time reviewing and discussing with each player the best route for them to take going into the next international season.

"Often, some choose to take an elongated break from the full-time programme for a variety of reasons, for instance an extended rest and recovery window or to be able to focus on other commitments such as their careers off the court.

"Each player within the programme will receive access to an Athlete Performance Award [APA], based on their commitments going forward. This is a Lottery-funded grant awarded in support of a player’s journey towards the podium at the Netball World Cup [NWC] and Commonwealth Games [CWG].

"Irrespective of previous performances, players will be nominated for funding if they are considered to be progressing towards, or continuing to achieve, Netball World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Youth World Cup medal performances.

"There’s a lot for the Roses within this programme to look forward to and work towards."

Halimat Adio, Olivia Tchine, Imogen Allison and Amy Carter have been selected into the Roses Futures programme, which is designed to support and accelerate the development of the next generation of Roses players.

Housby has won 66 England caps so far during her career.