INF world ranking: 2nd

World Cups played: 14

Highest World Cup finish: 3rd

Known as the Sunshine Girls, the Jamaican team is formidable on the court and could prove a tough contest for teams coming up against them. Ranked second in the world, the Sunshine Girls house some of the world’s best players within their team.

Jamaica have appeared at every World Cup fixture since its inception in 1963 and has hosted the event twice before — once in 1971 and again in 2003 in the country’s capital of Kingston. As one of the top five teams in the INF world rankings, Jamaica automatically qualified for the World Cup and will make their 15th World Cup appearance when they step onto the court to face Fiji in their opening match on July 12.

Players to watch:

Goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Reid has been playing netball since the age of 11 when she was introduced to the sport by her teacher at school. Eighteen years later, Fowler-Reid is one of the most feared players in international netball. In the domestic league, she plays in the Australian Suncorp Super League for West Coast Fever. Last year saw the shooting sensation score an incredible 783 goals for the club — a league record.

Known to her team as the ‘interception queen’ Shamera Sterling plays goalkeeper and goal defence for the Sunshine Girls. Sterling has represented Jamaica at both junior and senior levels and will make her World Cup debut in Liverpool. When she isn’t preventing goals on court, she loves to dance and studies literacy.

Standing tall at 6’4′ four, goal shooter Romelda Aiken has height on her side when it comes to performing out on the court. Aiken was part of Jamaica’s international team, at both the 2011 and 2015 World Cup tournaments, and is well-practised in playing on the international stage. When she isn’t playing for her home country, she plays for Australia’s Queensland Firebirds in the domestic league. Netball is a family affair for the goal shooter who is one-half of a duo with sister goal shooter Nicole Alicia Aiken-Pinnock.