The last time NZ played Jamaica was at last year's Netball World Cup. Photo: Christiaan Kotze/C&C Photo Agency
Analysis - Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua can be more than a little frustrated that her team won't meet one of the most dangerous sides in the world before the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The last time New Zealand played Jamaica was at last year's Netball World Cup, when they lost to them in the bronze medal match.
The financial burden on Netball New Zealand of hosting a series with Jamaica means that they won't meet them before the next pinnacle event in 18 months.
It would be equivalent to the All Blacks never playing Ireland between World Cups and expecting coach Scott Robertson to somehow prepare his team for a potential knock out game against them.
Through no fault of Netball New Zealand, the last series between the two nations in 2022 turned into a farce when passport and visa issues meant it was cut from three to two tests.
When Jamaica finally did touch down in New Zealand just seven of their 12-player squad made it. Lost tickets sales, the changing of venues, and travel assistance cost Netball New Zealand a significant amount of money.
When Jamaica comes to Aotearoa, Netball New Zealand has to support them because Jamaican Netball does not get much funding.
Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie told RNZ recently that it wouldn't necessarily be cheaper for the Silver Ferns to go to Jamaica, given all the logistics involved too.
It highlights how desperately World Netball needs to create more events to generate more money to help countries like Jamaica with funding. It also needs to ensure national netball associations are well run and are accountable for any funds they are given.
Geographically, England, who are ranked second in the world are in a good position. A direct flight between Jamaica and England is about 10 hours. Compare that to travel between Jamaica and New Zealand and you are looking at 24 hours plus, and two to three flights.
After coming off a tour of Australia and New Zealand in September and October, England met Jamaica four times last month in a new fixture on the international calendar.
Sophie Dwyer of Australia. New Zealand Silver Ferns v Australia Origin Diamonds Constellation Cup netball match at Spark Arena, Auckland. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
The Sunshine Series will be repeated for the next three years across both countries.
The Silver Ferns can usually count on the Nations Cup in England every January against South Africa, Australia, and the Roses, but the tournament is not going ahead this time for reasons that are unclear.
Netball New Zealand had hoped to organise a series in Fiji to fill that gap in January but that fell over.
It came as news to Dame Noeline when England Netball recently announced that it will be hosting the Nations Cup in February - a four-day tournament between the Roses, Malawi, South Africa and Uganda.
Again, geography means that getting between Africa and London isn't too arduous. A direct flight between South Africa and London for example takes just over 11 hours.
By the end of February, the Roses will have played all the other teams in the top seven World Netball Rankings and will have played two more series than the Silver Ferns in the 2024-25 test window.
"I am acutely aware of the opportunities that they are presenting to their players and also probably forecasting what that means the next time that we meet them," Dame Noeline said.
"England are the movers and shakers in my eyes. And it's going to make a difference as to the next time we meet them and the likes of Jamaica, what that looks like for Commonwealth Games and World Cup. So we have to be smart in what we can do, the things that I can control."
Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
For world number one ranked Australia, it's probably less concerning because their players come up against some of the best netballers in the world through the Suncorp Super Netball league (SSN).
With just two points separating England, New Zealand, and Jamaica on the world rankings list published in October, every Test has an impact.
More games means more opportunity to gain points, which can be crucial ahead of pinnacle events when draws are finalised based on rankings.
In January, the Proteas will make the journey to Jamaica for a three-match series against the Sunshine Girls. That will be no walk in the park, with travel between South Africa and the Caribbean usually taking a day.
Netball New Zealand are planning a week long camp for the Silver Ferns squad in Sydney in January to try to mitigate what they've lost.
They will have some combined training sessions with SSN team, the Swifts.
Dame Noeline has a strong connection with Swifts coach Briony Akle, who had stints as a specialist coach for the Silver Ferns this year.
"The last four days will be back to back games with the hope of replicating what happens at a pinnacle event and hopefully we will play against some of the SSN players."
The need for more international exposure is something that the Silver Ferns coach has been preaching to Netball New Zealand for some time and she sees it as their biggest challenge.
"And what do we need to do to ensure that the Silver Ferns are ahead of the game, that we have the opportunity to grow that depth and that we are in contention for a medal coming into Commonwealth Games and Netball World Cup."
Silver Ferns Parris Mason with England Liv Tchine during game 2 of the Taini Jamison Trophy Photo: Marty Melville
What the test window has shown so far is how quickly the script can flip now at the top of international netball.
In September the Australian Diamonds secured a 2-1 series win at home over England.
The Roses then came to New Zealand and beat the Silver Ferns 2-1 to win the Taini Jamison Trophy.
The Silver Ferns then finished 2024 on a high with a 3-1 Constellation Cup series win against Australia, which no one saw coming. It was just the third time New Zealand have won the trans-Tasman series.
Jamaica then won the deciding match to win the tightly contested Sunshine Series against England.
Some of the ideas World Netball are working on to create more events on the international calendar can't come soon enough.
It might be the Silver Ferns' best bet to get exposure against the likes of Jamaica in between Commonwealth Games and World Cups.
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