The Spar Proteas camp is reportedly getting more and more excited as they prepare for the highly anticipated netball Margaret Beckford Sunshine Series clash against Jamaica, which begins in Kingston on Saturday.
Proteas coach Jenny van Dyk said the group is ready and looking forward to the three-Test series.
It is the first South African netball tour to Jamaica since 2012. They last beat Jamaicans at the Netball World Cup in Liverpool in 2019.
“It is always a challenge to play Jamaica, which has a very distinctive style,” Van Dyk said during a virtual media briefing on Thursday.
Gruelling trip to Kingston
“But it is even more challenging now because most of their frontline players play in the Australian league, so their style is now a blend of Caribbean and Australian netball. They are a very experienced team, and they have three fantastic shooters.
“Jamaica is now ranked third in the world, behind Australia and New Zealand. We are thrilled to be playing them because if we want to be the best, we must play the best.”
The Proteas had a gruelling trip to Kingston, flying via Doha and New York, but Van Dyk said they have recovered from the journey, which took more than 30 hours.
“We took the advice of other South African teams that have travelled long distances, and we stayed awake when we needed to be awake, even though we could hardly keep our eyes open. But we have adapted well, and we are enjoying the island vibe,” she said.
“We plan to hit the ground running, and we have done a lot of research and preparation for this series.
“We don’t often get a chance to play against Jamaica, and we are determined to be competitive.
“We beat Jamaica the last time we played here, and our assistant coach, Zanele Mdodana, was part of that team, so she is able to tell us what to expect.”
The crowd factor
From the player’s perspective, captain Khanyisa Chawane said the team is excited to be playing against Jamaica away.
“We are more used to playing against Australia, New Zealand, and England, so this is going to be very different,” said Chawane.
“We know the crowd is going to be behind Jamaica, but we will deal with that. We just want to play good netball.”
Van Dyk said that although the team will go on to the UK after Jamaica to play in the Nations Cup against England, Uganda, and Malawi, their focus right now is on Jamaica.
Said Van Dyk: “Every match we play is part of our preparation for the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup. Every time we step on the court, we play to win.
“So, while we have the future in mind, we are concentrating on what we must do now.”
The series will be played on Saturday and Wednesday. It will wrap up on January 25.
