SA netball team heads to Jamaica

The SPAR Proteas, who finished 2024 as the number one ranked team in Africa, will start the new year with an exciting challenge when they travel to the Caribbean to take on Jamaica in the three-test Margaret Beckford Sunshine Series in Kingston between January 18 and 25.

National coach Jenny van Dyk said, “It’s my biggest challenge since taking over as coach. It’s always tough playing in the Caribbean, but I went to the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in 2023, so I am used to that kind of atmosphere.

“The humidity might also be a problem. Our strategy will be to close the gap in the scoreline and then go in hard, looking for the win.”

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After beating England in a test series, the in-form Jamaica moved into third spot on the world rankings, behind Australia and New Zealand.

The SPAR Proteas and the Sunshine Girls have played each other 18 times, with the SPAR Proteas winning three times – most notably in the Netball World Cup in Liverpool in 2019, where SA won 55-52, earning them a spot in the semi-finals.

Van Dyk added that their strategy is to close the gap in the scoreline and then go in hard, looking for the win.

“It’s tough to play Jamaica at home. They fill those arenas to capacity; they’ve got the dance, the song… Those spectators come out in full support of their team. But we made history when we went there under coach Elize Kotze and beat them.

“They’ve got a very vibrant team – dynamic and athletic. Most of their players play in Australia and have great international experience. But we want to be the best, so we must play the best,” said Mdodana.

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The matches will be at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston, Jamaica, on January 18, 22 and 25.

From Jamaica, the SPAR Proteas will travel to the United Kingdom to play in next month’s Vitality Netball Nations Cup. They will be joined by England, Uganda and Malawi.

The national U21 team, the SPAR Baby Proteas, will travel with the senior side to Jamaica to play a friendly series during the Margaret Beckford Sunshine series against the Jamaican national U21 team. This series is part of their preparation for the September Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar.