England Seeded To Regain Women's World Team Crown

England have been named as top seeds for the 2006 WSF Women's World Team Championship which will be held in Edmonton, in Alberta, Canada, from 24-30 September.

Five-times winners of the title since 1985, England will be hoping to recapture the trophy the team last won in 2000, on home soil in Sheffield. The 2006 England squad will comprise Tania Bailey, Vicky Botwright, Jenny Duncalf and Alison Waters, all ranked within the world's top ten.

Egypt are the second seeds - and expected to finish two places higher than ever before in only their seventh appearance in the event. The nation's squad includes Omneya Abdel Kawy, Engy Kheirallah, Raneem El Weleily (the world junior champion) and Amnah El Trabolsy - three of whom led the country to its maiden success in the World Junior Team Championship in 2003.

Malaysia, who recorded a best-ever fifth place finish in the previous (2004) Championship in the Netherlands, are the third seeds - and will be led by world champion and world No1 Nicol David.

Netherlands, led by world No2 Vanessa Atkinson, are fourth seeds. Hosts Canada are the seventh seeds.

Defending champions Australia, winners of the title two years ago in Amsterdam for the eighth time, are seeded five - in the absence of Queensland sisters Rachael Grinham and Natalie Grinham, ranked three and four in the world, respectively.

The 16 nations competing in the Edmonton championship will initially play in the following pools (seeding in brackets):

Pool A: ENGLAND (1); HONG KONG (8); IRELAND (9); AUSTRIA (16)
Pool B: EGYPT (2); CANADA (7); FRANCE (10); SPAIN (15)
Pool C: MALAYSIA (3); NEW ZEALAND (6); USA (11); JAPAN (14)
Pool D: NETHERLANDS (4); AUSTRALIA (5); SOUTH AFRICA (12); GERMANY (13)