Sunshine Girls prepare for tough England series, says coach Henry

Jamaica's national senior netball coach, Sasher-Gaye Henry, has acknowledged the challenge her team faces in the upcoming series against England, citing a lack of international competition as a disadvantage for the Sunshine Girls.

The England-Jamaica showdown marks the start of a new series called the Vitality Netball Horizon Series, which will be held across England and Jamaica over the next four years.

The first edition of the series will take place on November 16 and 17 at the AO Arena in Manchester, followed by matches on November 25 and 26 at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.

Henry, a former Sunshine Girls player, highlighted that England's Vitality Roses, now ranked second in the world, have benefited from recent competition. In contrast, Jamaica, ranked fourth despite having some of the world’s top offensive and defensive players, have not competed as a team for some time.

England's rise in the rankings follows some impressive wins against Australia and New Zealand. They claimed their first win against the world No 1 Australia since the Commonwealth Games gold medal match in 2018 scoring a dramatic 61-59 win in Sydney on September 22 to level their three-Test series before losing the series 2-1.

Jess Thirlby's side then earned an impressive 2-1 victory over the then world No 2 New Zealand in early October, lifting the Taini Jamison Trophy after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Despite England’s strong form, Henry expressed confidence and anticipation for the series.

Jamaica’s lineup features standout performers from Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball league.

The two teams last faced off in a three-match series in 2023, where England secured a 2-1 victory. England won the first match 73-52, Jamaica claimed the second 61-58, and England triumphed in the decider 63-59.

At the recent Netball World Cup, England earned the silver medal, while Jamaica finished third for bronze.

For more on the team's preparations and expectations from head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry, watch the video filmed and edited by Marlon Reid.