Jamaica national netball team

Last updated

Jamaica
Sunshine Girls 2015.jpg
Nickname(s)Sunshine Girls
Association Netball Jamaica
Confederation AFNA (Americas)
Head coachMarvette Anderson
Sasher-Gaye Henry
Captain Jhaniele Fowler-Reid
Vice-captainPaula Thompson
Most caps Nadine Bryan (159)
World ranking 3 Increase2.svg
Kit body netball.svg
Kit body netball.svg
Kit skirt netball.svg
Team colours
Kit body thingoldsides.svg
Kit body netball.svg
Kit skirt netball.svg
Alternate
Netball World Cup
Appearances15 (Debuted in 1963 )
2019 placing5th
Best result3rd (1991, 2003, 2007, 2023)
Commonwealth Games
Appearances7 (Debuted in 1998 )
2018 placing2nd
Best result2nd (Netball at the 2022 Commonwealth Games)

The Jamaica national netball team, commonly known as the Sunshine Girls, represent Jamaica in international netball competitions. Netball is the number one women's sport in Jamaica as well as the number one team sport in the island, based on World Rankings and recent history and the majority of the schools in Jamaica participate. [1] Netball receives full media coverage on television, radio and in newspapers but does not get as much coverage as less successful team sports such as football and cricket. [2] Jamaica were coached by former representative Oberon Pitterson, and captained by midcourt veteran Nadine Bryan up to the end of 2013. However, a Technical Director (Jill McIntosh) and new coach (Minneth Reynolds), were appointed in early 2014. As of 1 July 2020, Jamaica are fourth in the INF World Rankings. [3] The senior Jamaican netball team is widely known as the Sunshine Girls, the Jamaican Fast 5 netball team is known as Jamaica Fast5 or the FAST5 Girls. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

History

Netball in Jamaican schools started in 1909. In 1959, the Jamaica Netball Association was formed and affiliated with the West Indies Netball Board. Jamaica was invited to compete at the 1959 West Indies Tournament held in August in Montserrat. [9]

Since their debut international game in 1959, the Sunshine Girls have participated in every INF Netball World Cup, never finishing below sixth. Jamaica placed third in three World Championships – in 1991, 2003 and 2007. [1] They have played in all six Commonwealth Games netball events to date, winning a bronze medal in 2002 in Manchester, 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland and 2018 in Gold Coast, Australia.

Pitterson was appointed the new head coach for the Sunshine Girls at the 2011 World Netball Championships in Singapore. [10] Longstanding captain Simone Forbes did not attend the World Championships after testing positive the banned substance Clomiphene and was replaced by Nadine Bryan. [11] [12] Forbes subsequently retired, ending her illustrious career. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] After failing to medal in 2011, some of the experienced players on the squad decided to take a break from the national team, while Althea Byfield chose to retire, as they had grown disgruntled with embattled coach Pitterson. [15] [18] [19] [20] [21] Malysha Kelly & Romelda Aiken took over co-captaining duties at the 2013 Fast5 tournament and Kelly continued to captain the team in the first half of 2014. [22] [23] [24] [25] Nicole Aiken-Pinnock took over as captain ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and also captained them at the 2015 Netball World Cup. [26] [27] The team has since won bronze medals in both the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games, with the latter medal having been won against two-time gold medallists New Zealand.

Players

2022 squad

The current squad was selected for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. [28] [29]

Jamaica national netball team roster
PlayersCoaches
NamePosDOBHeightClubNatCaps
Jhaniele Fowler  (c)GS21 July 19891.98 m (6 ft 6 in) West Coast Fever Flag of Jamaica.svg
Shimona Nelson GS1 December 19981.95 m (6 ft 5 in) Melbourne Mavericks Flag of Jamaica.svg
Shanice Beckford GA, WA16 April 19951.70 m (5 ft 7 in) West Coast Fever Flag of Jamaica.svg
Rebekah Robinson GA23 January 19951.78 m (5 ft 10 in) Flag of Jamaica.svg
Khadijah Williams WA, C29 December 19941.68 m (5 ft 6 in) Flag of Jamaica.svg
Nicole Dixon-Rochester C, WA3 February 19951.65 m (5 ft 5 in) Flag of Jamaica.svg
Adean Thomas C, WA, WD31 July 19941.73 m (5 ft 8 in) Flag of Jamaica.svg
Shadian Hemmings WD, C, WA9 November 1990 Flag of Jamaica.svg
Jodi-Ann Ward WD, GD1 September 19941.78 m (5 ft 10 in) Giants Netball Flag of Jamaica.svg
Latanya Wilson GD, WD10 November 20001.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Adelaide Thunderbirds Flag of Jamaica.svg
Shamera Sterling GK, GD21 October 19951.85 m (6 ft 1 in) Adelaide Thunderbirds Flag of Jamaica.svg
Kadie-Ann Dehaney GK, GD4 September 19961.92 m (6 ft 4 in) West Coast Fever Flag of Jamaica.svg
Head coach
  • Vacant



Notes
  • (c) Captain
  • (cc) Co-captain
  • (vc) Vice-captain
  • Star of life gold.svg Injury / maternity leave
  • (TRP) Temporary Replacement Player
Player profiles: Team website Last updated: 5 August 2022

Notable past players

Most-capped Jamaican netballers

NameTest CapsTest Team Years
Nadine Bryan 159 [30] [31] [32] 1996–2014
Oberon Pitterson120+1988–2006
Connie Francis120+1985–1999, 2003
Georgia Gordon1101994–2005, 2010
Simone Forbes 1022000–2011
Elaine Davis 91 [33] 1995–2007 [33]
Nichala Gibson792000–2009
Kasey Evering 782002–2011, 2012, 2014
Nicole Aiken-Pinnock 782005–2011, 2014–present
Sasher-Gaye Henry751996–1997, 2006–2011, 2014–2015 [34] [35] [36]
Romelda Aiken 742005–present

Competitive history

Netball World Cup
YearChampionshipLocationPlacing
1963 1st World Championships Eastbourne, England5th
1967 2nd World Championships Perth, Australia6th
1971 3rd World Championships Kingston, Jamaica4th
1975 4th World Championships Auckland, New Zealand5th
1979 5th World Championships Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago5th
1983 6th World Championships Singapore5th
1987 7th World Championships Glasgow, Scotland5th
1991 8th World Championships Sydney Med 3.png 3rd
1995 9th World Championships Birmingham, England5th
1999 10th World Championships Christchurch, New Zealand4th
2003 11th World Championships Kingston, Jamaica Med 3.png 3rd
2007 12th World Championships Auckland, New Zealand Med 3.png 3rd
2011 13th World Championships Singapore4th
2015 14th World Cup Sydney, Australia4th
2019 15th World Cup Liverpool, England5th
2023 16th World Cup Cape Town, South Africa Med 3.png 3rd
Netball at the Commonwealth Games
YearGamesEventLocationPlacing
1998 XVI Games 1st Netball Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia4th
2002 XVII Games 2nd Netball Manchester, England Med 3.png 3rd
2006 XVIII Games 3rd Netball Melbourne, Australia4th
2010 XIX Games 4th Netball Delhi, India4th
2014 XX Games 5th Netball Glasgow, Scotland Med 3.png 3rd
2018 XXI Games 6th Netball Gold Coast, Australia Med 3.png 3rd
2022 XXII Games 7th Netball Birmingham, Australia Med 2.png 2nd
Fast5 World Netball Series (formerly Fastnet)
YearTournamentLocationPlacing
2009 1st World Series Manchester, England Med 2.png 2nd
2010 2nd World Series Liverpool, England Med 3.png 3rd
2011 3rd World Series Liverpool, England4th
2012 4th World Series Auckland, New Zealand4th
2013 5th World Series Auckland, New Zealand Med 3.png 3rd
2014 6th World Series Auckland, New Zealand4th
2016 7th World Series Melbourne, Australia5th
2017 8th World Series Melbourne, Australia Med 2.png 2nd
2018 9th World Series Melbourne, Australia Med 2.png 2nd
2022 10th World Series Christchurch, New Zealand6th
2023 11th World Series Christchurch, New Zealand5th

Kit suppliers

Jamaica's kits are currently supplied by Gilbert.

See also

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References

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