Australia's Test netball schedule unveiled

Australia's new netball coach will face a baptism of fire, with five Tests lined up against world champions New Zealand in the space of a month later this year.

Schedules for the Quad Series and Constellation Cup series were announced on Friday, although details of the games in Australia are still to be finalised.

The world No.1 ranked Diamonds will defend their Quad Series title against New Zealand, England and South Africa, opening their campaign against the Proteas in Hamilton on September 20.

Subsequent Tests against England and New Zealand will be staged in Australia.

The Constellation Cup has been confirmed again as a four-Test series, with Australia to host the first two matches in mid-October before return fixtures in Invercargill (Oct 18) and Auckland (Oct 21).

A new Diamonds coach will be at the helm for both series after Netball Australia announced this month it would part ways with Lisa Alexander, whose nine-year tenure will end with this weekend's bushfire relief charity match against an All Stars team.