Grateful to receive compensation but still reeling financially from the farcical Jamaica two-match series

Netball New Zealand (NNZ) has received a $10,000 ex gratia payment and letter from World Netball following last year’s shambolic home series against Jamaica’s “Sunshine Girls”.

NNZ was grateful to receive compensation and acknowledgement from the sport’s governing body but is still reeling financially from the farcical two-match series. It has been reported that NNZ lost around $400,000 from the series but is working hard with venue and accommodation partners to mitigate some of those costs.

However, lost gate takings from two sold-out matches in Hamilton could not be retrieved. Jamaica’s tour to New Zealand last September was plagued by problems before the team even flew out.

Jamaica was fined

World Netball eventually fined Jamaica the maximum £5000 (about NZ$10,000) for failing to fulfil the fixtures that were due to be held on September 17 and 19 last year. Passport and visa issues delayed the team’s departure and led to the first two tests in Hamilton being scrapped. 

One game was moved to Auckland with both matches played in the city at different venues. When Jamaica did finally touch down, just seven of their original 12-player squad made it with the others unable to travel with visa problems.

To field the mandatory 10 players for a recognized test match, Jamaica was forced to add coach Connie Francis, in her 50s, to the team sheet. They also sent out an SOS to Australia for retired 38-year-old Carla Borrego, and Romelda Aiken-George, who had given birth six weeks earlier.

New Zealand‘s Silver Ferns won the matches convincingly by 40 and 25 goals with the lopsided results. Jamaica’s understrength and hastily put-together squad resulted in a bad look for international netball. 

The Silver Ferns-Jamaica series had the potential to be something special after the Sunshine Girls excelled at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Jamaica thumped the Silver Ferns 67-51 in the semifinal and pushed Australia into the gold medal match, losing 55-51.