Sunshine Girls seek home support and sponsors for England showdown

Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls are preparing for a fierce battle with England’s Vitality Roses in the upcoming Horizon Netball Series, with head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry-Wright calling on local fans to pack the National Indoor Sports Centre and help drive the team toward reclaiming the Rhone Hornsby Trophy.

The third staging of the series was launched last Tuesday at the S Hotel in New Kingston, with the contest set for London on November 21 and 22 before concluding in Kingston on December 5 and 6.

The Sunshine Girls won the inaugural series in 2024 by a 2-1 margin, but England claimed the trophy for the first time in 2025, sweeping the two matches played on home soil. The Jamaican leg was canceled following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

With Jamaica and England ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the World Netball team rankings, this year’s encounter offers both sides an opportunity to strengthen their standing while renewing a rivalry that has become a major feature of the international calendar.

Henry-Wright anticipates tactical battle

Henry-Wright expects a competitive series, with both teams eager to establish their superiority after Jamaica was unable to field its full complement of players for last year’s contest.

"We expect a fierce rivalry. You know, it's always a competition between England and Jamaica, and the fact that we have not played England in a Commonwealth game is something that's going to be exciting because we didn't cross paths," she said.

"The fact that England actually won the last series, we were not able because of Hurricane Melissa, so we were not able to play our two home games, and a lot of our players were not available for that series so it's going to be interesting to see how well the two teams match up against each other."

The coach expects the outcome to depend on execution, tactical discipline, and the ability to limit turnovers while making improvements ahead of the series.

"I know I'm expecting our girls to do well, and we're expecting England to do well, so it all comes down to tactical plays, limited turnovers, to see some improvements heading into this series."

However, Henry-Wright believes the atmosphere generated by Jamaican supporters could provide a significant boost when the teams meet in Kingston.

"I'm excited too because I'd love to get a jam-packed arena. I mean, we had an exciting one when we played South Africa. England hate the pot covers. The international teams hate the pot covers. We love it because it's a part of our culture, so we want to bring that vibe.

"The community person is coming out. The students are coming out, the parents, the past players, and the friends come out and be that extra man behind the girls."

Strength and conditioning remain a concern

While preparations are progressing, the coach highlighted a funding gap that continues to affect the team’s ability to access the strength and conditioning support required at the highest level.

Henry-Wright made an appeal for financial assistance to secure the services of a trainer, explaining that the team has access to facilities but lacks the funding needed to support this important aspect of its preparation.

"One of the big things that we struggle with, and it's a very important part, is our strength and condition. It just feels like it's just too much going over it over again but at this point in time, it's not the ideal situation that we have where we definitely need... we have a trainer, but we are not able to fund the trainer and it's very important."

She acknowledged the assistance available from GC Foster College and Jamaica College, both of which have helped the team access training facilities.

"We have facilities, so GC Foster College always makes themselves available. Their facility, Jamaica College, has stepped up and assisted us in that so we really want to ramp up on that."

Despite the financial challenges, Henry-Wright said the squad’s preparations remain intense as the Sunshine Girls work toward delivering a strong performance against England.

Wilson promises quality netball

Sunshine Girls defender Latanya Wilson, who is taking a break from her overseas playing contract, has been training alongside the locally based players and expects Jamaica to deliver an entertaining display.

"You can expect a lot. I think you can expect flair, you can expect great quality netball out there," Wilson said.

"One thing about the Sunshine Girls is that we take pride in the work that we execute out there on court so definitely coming out and supporting us will mean the world to us. So, make sure you're there at the stadium on December 5th and 6th."

Wilson’s appeal reinforces the team’s desire to turn the home leg into a major occasion, with strong public support expected to play a part in the push to regain the trophy.

Development squad to feature in three matches

Netball Jamaica President Karen Baugh also expects a high standard of competition, pointing to the performances of both teams at the Commonwealth Games as evidence of their quality.

"We can expect really intense competition. The two teams, if you were watching the Commonwealth Games, even though Jamaica came second and England came fourth, you would be able to see that they were teams performing at a very high level so we expect that patrons should come, expecting to be entertained, expecting some great netball," Baugh said.

She also encouraged supporters to arrive early to watch the next generation of Jamaican talent in action.

"Make sure you come early. Make sure you come out and see our development squad at work as well. That's the future of the Sunshine Girls but we are looking for a really great two days of netball."

The development squads will meet in three matches scheduled for December 3, 5, and 6, providing additional opportunities for emerging players to gain experience on the international stage.

Netball Jamaica welcomes more sponsors

Baugh welcomed the businesses that have already committed support to the Sunshine Girls and the Horizon Netball Series, while encouraging additional sponsors to come on board.

She stressed that sustained financial backing is essential to ensuring the team can prepare and travel overseas with the resources expected of an elite national program.

"Well, we're happy that the sponsors are coming on board. We always need more because we want to make sure the girls are being prepared at an elite level. We want to make sure that when we tour overseas that they have everything that a national team should have to support their on-court work but I'm really happy with the level of sponsorship that we've seen so far."

Baugh said additional sponsors had joined in the days leading up to the launch and that Netball Jamaica remained open to further partnerships.

"Some sponsors have come on in the last few days. We are open and ready to welcome more sponsors to the table. The Sunshine Girls are awesome ambassadors for Jamaica, and we feel that you can find a connection with us that will suit your brand as well as making sure that the program and the girls are supported."

The Sunshine Girls’ team sponsors are Kendel and Best Dressed. Series sponsors include Wata, Powerade, Gilbert, Supreme Ventures, the Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica Public Service Company, the Bob Marley Foundation, Main Event, Budget Car Rental, the Coconut Industry Board, Guardian Life, Canopy Insurance, and S Hotel.

With the trophy at stake and the home crowd expected to play its part, Jamaica will look to combine tactical discipline, quality execution, and passionate support to reclaim the Horizon Netball Series crown from England.