Nardia Hanson, head coach of Jamaica’s Fast5 netball team, says the players have acclimatised well to the chilly conditions in New Zealand and are ready and raring to go at the start of this weekend’s World Series.

The tournament, set to take place at the Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch on Saturday and Sunday, will feature Jamaica and five other competing nations.

The Sunshine Girls are scheduled to play three matches on the opening day of the tournament. They are to face hosts New Zealand before taking on England and South Africa.

On Sunday, they are slated to play against Australia and Uganda.

The Jamaicans enter this year’s competition following a sixth-place finish in last year’s event.

“Things are going okay so far, but the girls are cold because we’re not used to this climate, so arriving here early was good for us. We have had three training sessions so far, and the girls are looking good, so we are just ready for the weekend,” she said.

“They are confident, and the good thing is that for most of them, this is their first time on this international scene, so they don’t have anything to fear. They are confident in themselves and determined to go out there and put on a good show for the country,” Hanson continued.

However, the head coach acknowledged that the championship will be a tough challenge for the Sunshine Girls.

“They want to do well, and they want to prove to a lot of people that the Fast5 team can bring home the gold. They are confident and determined to make it on the podium.

“It’s going to be very tough for us, especially with the climate here and going up against teams who have been on the scene before. They are not used to this type of netball, but the girls are ready to go out there and leave it all on the court,” Hanson emphasised.

The Jamaicans have had success at previous tournaments, having finished as runners-up three times at the Fast5 World Series. They were second to New Zealand in 2009, and again finished behind England in 2017 and New Zealand in 2018.

— Robert Bailey