The Sunshine Girls are ringing in players to ensure the series against the Silver Ferns goes ahead, including former Jamaican international Carla Borrego.
New Zealand's Maia Wilson and Jamiaca's Shamera Sterling. Netball Semi Final. Jamaica v New Zealand Silver Ferns. Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Saturday 6 August 2022. © Photo: Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Seven members of the Jamaican netball team arrived in New Zealand on Monday for the series, which starts tonight in Auckland.
But as a result of ongoing visa issues five members of the team have not been able to join their team-mates, putting the series with the Silver Ferns into disarray.
The three Test series already had to be postponed and reduced to two tests.
With just seven players here, the visitors faced playing the series against the Silver Ferns with the bare minimum and having to play short if one of their players got injured.
Netball New Zealand was prepared to lend the Jamaican side players from the domestic league but that might have affected the status of the games as official Tests.
Jamaica coach Connie Francis said they were aiming to have 10 players available to play.
"We have one that is coming in today (Tuesday), hopefully the other two can join us shortly, they should be available for the games but certainly the logistics to get the other two players, it's taking a little bit of time."
Former Jamaican shooter Borrego, who played in the 2003 World Cup and used to ply her trade in the Australian domestic league, is based in Australia.
Francis wasn't sure how much netball the 38-year-old had played recently.
"I don't know if she still playing for a team down here but when I heard that she would be rejoining us I was very happy because she's a very good player and someone I'm accustomed to," Francis said.
Borrego retired from the Australian netball league after the 2016 season.
Jamaica are still working on getting two more former internationals to join the team.
"I'm sure that one is coming out of Australia, will have to wait on logistics to be concrete before I can say anything else about that."
Many fans will be hoping that Jamaican great Romelda Aiken-George might get on the plane.
The Australian based Aiken-George gave birth to her first child in early August. She was still playing Australia's top domestic league last year.
Francis, who has played at five world cups, said it was an unusual situation.
"I've never seen something like this happen but things happen beyond our control ...we just have to accept it and move forward.
"We were hoping to have at least 10 players from our Commonwealth Games team but we had injury problems that we have to take care of right now."
"We have left five young players back home who would have certainly made an impact and gained valuable playing time against the number two team in the world but it didn't happen and we are sorry things just went bad."
Jamaica thrashed the Silver Ferns at the recent Commonwealth Games, where the Sunshine Girls came away with a historic silver medal.
Only three players from that side were named for the series against the Silver Ferns.
Netball NZ could seek recourse
Netball New Zealand CEO Jennie Wyllie said they had been supporting Jamaica in getting additional players.
"In order for it to be a ranking game our understanding is there needs to be 10 players ...and we want to play for rankings points, we're excited that they're looking at all options to be able to satisfy that," Wyllie said.
"Also for player safety and welfare I think it's really important that you have subs on the sideline."
Wyllie said Netball New Zealand would work through the financial ramifications of a condensed and delayed series.
"Changing venues and having to go back to partners and explain a change in format is never easy. It's something that we're going to look into at the conclusion of this series, we'll do a bit of a wash-up but there will be a financial impact.
"There always is if you need to reduce your number of games and let fans down ...that's something that we're going to look into at the conclusion of this and be able to quantify that."
If Netball New Zealand believes Netball Jamaica could have done more to expedite the visa situation - could there be ramifications for the Jamaican national body?
"We've already been talking with Netball Jamaica extensively over the last few days and also World Netball have been kept in the loop.
"Once we get through this series that is also one of the conversations that we will have around our learnings and what needs to be true going forward in situations like this so that's also something that we will debrief in due course."
She said World Netball had rules and regulations that would facilitate any dispute process or complaint process.
"There's also contractual commitments that always exist between touring parties so there is recourse through those if it's deemed appropriate but at the moment we're focussed on playing a series and taking any learnings as we go forward and put them into practice next time."
Wyllie was pleased that despite all the disruptions, tomorrow's game on the North Shore had been sold out.
The second test is on Thursday at Pulman Arena, in South Auckland.
