Fran Williams

English defender who captains the Vitality Roses, having secured the decisive intercept that sent England to their first-ever Netball World Cup final in 2023.

Francesca 'Fran' Williams was born on 23 December 1997 in London and grew up playing for Woodley Netball Club in Reading. She captained England's under-21 side to bronze at the 2015 Netball World Youth Cup in Botswana and made her senior debut against Uganda in November 2018, becoming the youngest member of the England squad that won bronze at the 2019 World Cup with just three caps to her name at the tournament's start. Williams missed selection for the 2022 Commonwealth Games but returned in 2023 to help England achieve their first-ever World Cup silver medal in Cape Town, securing the vital intercept in the semi-final against New Zealand that sent the Roses through to their first-ever final. She was appointed England captain later that year, and has since led the team to the 2024 Taini Jamison Trophy Series and the 2025 Netball Nations Cup, England's first-ever title in that competition. Domestically, Williams began at Wasps Netball, winning back-to-back Super League titles in 2017 and 2018, before moving to Loughborough Lightning, winning a further title in 2023 and being voted Fans' Player of the Season. She signed with West Coast Fever in Australia's Super Netball league in 2024, splitting her year between the Australian season and international duty for England, and holds a degree in Economics from the University of Birmingham.

Collected, consistent defender capable of playing both goal defence and goal keeper, known for disruptive intercepting and calm leadership

A rising leader of English netball, having steered the Vitality Roses to their most successful World Cup era and to the country's first Netball Nations Cup title

• World Cup Silver 2023
• World Cup Bronze 2019
• England Captain (2023-)
• 3x Netball Super League title winner (Wasps x2, Loughborough Lightning)