Jamaica’s senior netball team, the Sunshine Girls, has bolstered its 15-member squad with the addition of England-born player Brie Grierson, ahead of their upcoming three-match series against South Africa next month on home
soil.

All three matches of the home series will be played at the National Indoor Sports Centre on January 18, 22 and 25. The teams will compete for the Margaret Beckford Trophy.

Head Coach Sasher-Gaye Henry says Grierson was invited to train with the team during their recent tour of England, and impressed selectors with her performance.

“Brie [Grierson] is one of the new persons who will be joining the squad,” Henry told the
Sunday Observer.

“She was a player who was interested, and when we were in England, we had the opportunity for her to train with us. We had prepared videos to go back for selectors to see if she can represent us. Her performance was good, she played well, and I think that’s why we selected her for this series.”

Grierson, who has previously played for the London Pulse in the Netball Super League, has sparked excitement among netball fans as she is qualified to represent Jamaica through her father.

Grierson, who plays wing attack and goal attack, brings experience from competing in the English netball league, which Henry says will be an asset to the team.

“Her competition is much higher than what we would have in Jamaica,” Henry said.

“So, it adds a lot of substance to her in terms of her position. We might try her in the centre court, so we’re just trying to see how our combination works and how well these girls work together.”

The series against South Africa promises to be a challenging one for the Sunshine Girls, who will be without some of their key players. However, Henry is optimistic about the team’s chances, particularly with the addition of Grierson and the return of Shimona Jok.

“We don’t have our two big ones, but we have a big one coming in,” Henry said. “We’re looking forward to this series; it’s going to be a very contested series, and it will be a challenging one for us.

“We want to see what the team looks like for the series, seeing that we don’t have everybody who we had in the England series, and to see how well we will match up against South Africa.”

Defender Shamera Sterling Humphrey has been reappointed as team captain.

She will lead a team that blends seasoned players with exciting young talent, as they build on their strong performance in the recent Horizon Series against England.

The Sunshine Girls emerged victorious in the closely contested series, winning 2-1 and claiming the inaugural Rhonda Horney Trophy.

SQUAD:

Shooters: Shimona Jok, Shanice Beckford, Rhea Dixon, Mischa Creary, and Simone Gordon.

Centre Court: Abigale Sutherland, Khadijah Williams, Crystal Plummer, Brie Grierson, and Adean Thomas.

Defence: Shamera Sterling Humphrey (Captain), Latanya Wilson, Jody-Ann Ward, Theresa Beckford, and Kimone Shaw.

Brie Grierson

Henry…we had prepared videos to go back for selectors to see if Brie [Grierson] can represent us. Her performance was good, she played well, and I think that’s why we selected her for this series Karl Mclarty)