With the 50 days-to-go mark upon us, Netball Jamaica has announced the 15 player squad that will travel to Cape Town, South Africa for the global showpiece.
Ten players from the last World Cup have been retained, ensuring a solid foundation of experience within the team. The Sunshine Girls will be led by captain Jhaniele Fowler and a major championship tournament return for Romelda Aiken-George who missed out of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games as she was on maternity leave.
The formidable team also includes Crystal Plummer, who is making her World Cup debut. Plummer first featured in a major championship at last year’s Fast 5 series and was again included in the England Roses Test series earlier this year.
Ranked fourth globally by World Netball, Jamaica’s senior netball team secured automatic qualification for the tournament, solidifying its reputation as one of the world’s top netball nations.
With World Netball granting participants permission to have three reserves, Jamaica will name the core 12 players as well as who will be the reserves on the 14th of June.
These reserves will remain with the team throughout the tournament and, in the unfortunate event of an injury or illness that ends a player’s participation, they can serve as permanent replacements.
Bringing their wealth of knowledge and expertise will be the coaching staff of three, Head Coach Connie Francis will lead the team in South Africa and she will be assisted by Francis will be Keyan Murdock and Rob Wright.
The team is scheduled to depart for their final training camp in South Africa on July 14, with their first World Cup game slated for July 28.
The Sunshine Girls will come out guns blazing as the final of the World Cup falls on the 6th of August and coincides with the country’s Independence Day therefore victory will go a long way for the Caribbean nation.
Currently ranked fourth in the World, in the last World Cup they finished fifth at the 2019 World Cup and are set to begin their campaign against Sri Lanka on Friday, July 28.
They then face Wales on Saturday, July 29, before a clash against South Africa on Sunday, July 30.
Jamaica’s 2023 Netball World Cup squad
Shooters: Romelda Aiken-George, Shanice Beckford, Jhaniele Fowler, Shimona Nelson, Rebecca Robinson.
Centre Court: Nicole Dixon-Rochester, Crystal Plummer, Abigale Sutherland, Adean Thomas, Khadijah Williams.
Defenders: Kadie-Ann Dehaney, Kimone Shaw, Shamera Sterling , Jodi-Ann Ward, Latanya Wilson.
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