JAMAICA’s senior netballers will face the final test of their readiness for this summer’s World Netball Championships (WNC) in Singapore when they take on their arch-rivals England in the three-match Supreme Ventures Sunshine Series at the National Indoor Sports Centre from April 26-30.

The series, title-sponsored by the sports gaming company to the tune of $1.7 million, as well as Best Dressed Chicken and Digicel, was launched at the Acropolis Gaming Lounge in Barbican yesterday.

The matches will be played on Tuesday, April 26 and Thursday, April 28, starting at 7:30 pm, and on Saturday, April 30, starting at 5:00.

The teams have battled for the bronze medal in various world tournaments over the past few years, with England copping third place at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne 2006 and New Delhi 2010 and Jamaica doing likewise at the last World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand in 2007.

The pair tied their last series at the NISC last September, with the visitors taking Game One, 53-42, and the Jamaicans winning the second match, 52-45.

The series will also be important as the national team could overtake England for third place in the world rankings if they win.

Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) sponsored the last home series the Sunshine Girls played against Australia, which they tied 1-1.

Vice-president of group corporate communications, Sonia Davidson, said that was a proud moment for her company. She told the Observer that SVL will do its best to back the country’s most successful sporting team.

“The girls need the support. Of all our national teams they have really done the best for us and Singapore is a real challenge for them and we just think we ought to support,” she said.

“They’re really nice girls, they really represent us well and we’re just proud of what they have done so far,” she added.

Meanwhile, sales and marketing manager of Best Dressed Chicken, Oliver Mair, told the Observer the fervour exuded by Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) president Marva Bernard helped to convince his team to get involved.

“We were approached by the netball association and when we heard the passion, the energy and the zeal that was there… it was an easy decision for us,” he said.

Mair added that his company intended to get even more involved with the national programme very soon.

“We definitely want to be working close with the netball association,” he said.

Meanwhile, two uncapped players — Waulgrovians’ Marion Campbell and former Under-21 player Naudia Brown — have been included in the 15-member squad for the series.

The rest of the squad includes the experienced Simone Forbes, Nadine Bryan, Sasher Gaye Henry, Althea Byfield, Nicole Pinnock, as well as Tracy-Ann Robinson, Paula Thompson, Kimone Tulloch, Jhaniele Fowler, Anna-Kay Griffiths, Jodi Ann Ffrench-Kentish, Malysha Kelly, and Kameika Sherwood.

Following the series against England, the final 12-member squad for the WNC from July 3-10 will be named.

Forbes told the Observer that the training for the WNC over the last few months has become quite intense and she has seen a new side of her teammates.

“This is going to be tough, very competitive, but I’m really looking forward to it,” Forbes said.

“I’ve seen us being intense against each other, but the competition where playing against each other is concerned is just mind-blowing. I like it this is the last hurrah before the World Championships so I know it’s going to be fun but its also going to be very, very important.”

The English team arrives in the island on Good Friday, April 22.