Sunshine Girls still need support

WITH OVER a month to go before the Sunshine Girls’ highly anticipated four-match Horizon Netball Series against rivals England, head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry is calling on corporate Jamaica to support the national side.

The 2025 series will feature two home matches at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston on December 6 and 7, followed by two away matches at the Copper Box Arena in London on December 13 and 14.

“We are always grateful for support and thank all our supporters and sponsors, who have remained on board,” Henry said.

“We definitely want more sponsors to assist the team so the girls can get the best preparations for this massive series against England. We also hope the crowd will come out and support the girls, as they are a driving force behind them.”

The Sunshine Girls squad, expected to be announced this week, will be without a number of their star players, including the likes of captain Jhaniele Fowler, Shamera Sterling, Jodi-Ann Ward, Latanya Wilson, Romelda Aiken, and Shimona Nelson.

It is understood that Fowler, Aiken, Nelson, and Wilson have made themselves unavailable for the series. Sterling recently gave birth, while Ward recently underwent surgery.

Henry expressed excitement about the series, which will feature a mix of fresh and new faces.

“This series is very important, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to compete against one of the best teams in the world in the international window,” she said.

“We know that England and Jamaica are great rivals, and we always compete fiercely against them. Heading into the Commonwealth Games, this series is a crucial step in assessing our team and identifying areas for improvement,” Henry added.

The Sunshine Girls have been preparing well, but recent disruptions due to the hurricane and rain have impacted their training.

“The preparations have been going well, but the hurricane has been a damper in our buildup, with the National Stadium closed and training cancelled due to rain,” Henry stated.

“However, the girls have been given a programme to follow on their own during this period.”

The Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 2, 2026, in Glasgow, Scotland, and the Sunshine Girls will aim to improve on their silver medal finish in 2022.

Jamaica won the inaugural four-match series between the teams 2-1 in 2024.