Former Netball Jamaica President Marva Bernard says this is the best opportunity for Jamaica’s senior women’s netball team to win the World Cup.

The Sunshine Girls have not won a Netball World Cup medal since taking bronze in New Zealand in 2007.

The 2023 Vitality Netball World Cup will be the 16th staging of the premier competition in international netball, contested every four years. The tournament will be held from Friday, July 28 to Sunday, August 6 at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Cape Town, South Africa.

Since its inception in 1963, the competition has been dominated primarily by Australia and New Zealand, as of the 2019 event with both teams medalling in every one of the 15 championships. Trinidad and Tobago is the only other team to have won a title (a three-way tie in the 1979 championship). The most recent tournament was the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool, England, which was won by New Zealand.

Bernard says that while sport is unpredictable, the Sunshine Girls have gone to every World Cup since 2007 with the hope of earning a medal and failed to produce the goods, but this time is different. Bernard believes that self-belief, confidence, and teamwork will be critical if they are to have World Cup success.

“Everything has to come together, including team camaraderie and the coach-player relationship. I know this because I’ve lived it, and even if I’m not in the thick of it, I know it’s not easy. I’ve been with them [Sunshine Girls], and I see that this is their time now,” Bernard told the Jamaica Observer.

“I have watched the Sunshine Girls in the last Commonwealth Games, and they were incredibly focused. They are super focused around on thing: to reach the final. If they do, I am certain that this is their best opportunity, barring any unforeseen circumstances. I’m rooting for them to win that trophy because it’s now or never.

“No journey to the top is without obstacles, but believe me when I say that they all want the same goal. All of us who have been on this journey, even those who are now on the sidelines, know that the time has come. I know the level of respect for the opponents has increased since they are learning every day. Every misfortune is a great teacher,” Bernard added.

Bernard says the beauty of the Jamaican squad today is that it has been together for a longer period of time, and she is delighted that so many players have been around during her tenure who she has watched progress and grow.

“I’ve seen most, if not all, of them come through our development programmes,” she said. “Molly Rhone was there, Margaret Beckford used to support me, and Roy Wright’s arrival to the coaching staff, adding Connie Francis, boosts confidence for increased performance.

“We had some really good Under-16 coaches, and we brought in a former national senior coach, Barbara Sinclair, to teach the fundamentals of the game to players like Khadijah Williams, Shanice Beckford, and Adean Thomas. So you discover longevity, self-belief, and the opportunity to play top-class netball is what going down to Australia did, and I know Romelda [Aiken-George] went with a blessing, as did Jhaniele Fowler.

“It’s the same with Kadie-Ann Dehaney and Shamera Sterling, so it’s a really proud moment for me, and I do know that the closer they get to it, the more confident they become. They are confident, but not overconfident; they are a very close group of ladies; they have been through the highs and lows of victory and defeat, and I believe this is their best shot ever.”

Bernard, a former president of Americas Netball and World Netball board director for the Americas, stated that the Elite League is crucial in selecting local-based players for the World Cup team.

“The Elite League started during my tenure, and what we wanted to do with it was give the girls who aren’t in the super league in Australia a chance to play with the best that we have here,” she said. “It was also during a period when the coaching staff could look at them and provide feedback.

“So I’m glad to see it’s still here; it’s the best we can put together. I know a lot has happened, and the teams have been reduced to four, and I am hoping it will be increased to six, but this is the best opportunity, and don’t forget they play with the men as well.

“All of the top teams in the world train with the men in their respective countries, and we are doing the same. That’s the best we can do for those who are here.”