Having spent years perfecting her game and inspiring others through her journey, Shanice Beckford views a return to the international stage for the Vitality Horizon Netball Series as another opportunity to parade her skills in front of aspiring players both at home and in England.

In fact, few players are as excited to hit the court as Beckford, especially after a lengthy break from international action, as the upcoming four-match series against England Roses will be the first time the Sunshine Girls have assembled since their bronze medal win at last year’s Netball World Cup.

Beckford’s enthusiasm reflects the strong bond within the team, which is a key factor as they prepare to face their fierce rivals.

England will host the first two games scheduled for November 16 and 17 at the AO Arena in Manchester, with Jamaica set to host the last two encounters on November 25 and 26 at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

“I’m happy to be back with the team for another cycle,” Beckford told SportsMax.Tv, radiating positivity.

“Kicking off our first international series with two matches at home is a great feeling. It’s always good vibes when the team gets together so I am excited to be back with the girls and ready to give of my best as usual,” she added.

Beckford’s passion, resilience, and aspirations for the future stem from the fact that she went from humble beginnings in the inner city to being a familiar face in Jamaican netball, as she was determined to break stereotypes and pursue a path beyond her immediate circumstances.

“Growing up in the inner city, I just didn’t want to be treated as stereotype, so netball became my escape, offering me not just the sport but a way to build connections and dream beyond my surroundings,” Beckford, who currently represents West Coast Fever in the Australian Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League, shared.

Though her career spanning over 10 years is marked by remarkable moments such as winning three Commonwealth Games medals, three Fast5 medals, and a Netball World Cup medal, for Beckford, her greatest achievement isn’t a particular medal or title but the journey itself—the connections, skills, and personal growth she has experienced along the way.

Still, her path hasn’t always been easy as injuries, disappointing matches, and times of self-doubt have all tested Beckford’s resilience. However, she welcomed successes and setbacks as part of the transformative process, with humility being her guiding principle.

“Even the tough moments have taught me the importance of perseverance and sportsmanship and I cherish this journey and all that it has brought into my life. It feels like I was destined to walk this path, so I will always remain humble, no matter what, and trust the process regardless,” Beckford stated.

The versatile 29-year-old goal-attack, who has earned the love and support of fans worldwide, is no stranger to rubbing shoulders with England, as her agility, sharp shooting, and strategic play have seen her win numerous star player of the game awards against them.

As such, the longstanding rivalry between the two nations not only brings a familiar intensity but also makes Beckford and her number four-ranked Sunshine Girls teammates even more motivated for the challenge as they seek to topple the now number two-ranked England and make a move up the rankings.

“Facing off against England, our long-standing rivals, always brings an electrifying atmosphere and intense competition. Each match against them isn’t just about the battles on the court but is also an opportunity to see our growth as a team,” Beckford declared.

“It’s going to be a good matchup against the Roses. They’re coming off a series win against New Zealand and had decent competition with the Australia Diamonds. All four matches will be tough, but we are ready to secure a favourable outcome at the end,” she noted.

Finally, with this series marking the start of another four-year cycle in her career, Beckford remains focused on her personal and professional growth, with her ultimate ambition being simple yet powerful—continue inspiring others.

“I have been pushing myself to be at peak performance; I’ve put in a lot of work, thanks to my trainers, and I feel ready to compete. The aim is always to be at my best at all times, ensure I am sharpening my skillset, and get ready for another season in SSN,” she explained, emphasizing her dedication to continuous improvement.

“I will continue working hard to not only see where this journey takes me, but more importantly, to continue serving as an inspiration to young athletes who see me as a role model,” Beckford ended

The intense rivalry between Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls and England’s Vitality Roses will see its next chapter when the teams meet in a crucial four-match Test series in November.

The Roses and the Sunshine Girls are currently second and fourth with 189 and 187 rating points, respectively, in the Netball World Rankings based on matches up to October 6.

Sandwiched between the two is New Zealand with 188 points while Australia have a comfortable lead atop the rankings with 209 rating points.

The series will see the Jamaicans travelling to England for matches on November 16 and 17 at the AO Arena in Manchester before hosting the Roses at the National Indoor Sports Centre on November 25 and 26.

As has been previously stated, this rivalry has been one of the most competitive in global netball and, to give some context, here are the results from various series and matchups between the two over the last 10 years.

The teams met on five occasions in total in 2015. They met in a three-match Test series in January in Jamaica which the hosts won 2-1 before meeting twice at the Netball World Cup in Australia in August.

Drawn together in the Group Stage, England defeated the Sunshine Girls 54-50 in the preliminaries before producing a dominant display in the bronze-medal game, winning 66-44.

A year later, the teams met again in a three-match Test series, this time in England with the Jamaicans once again coming out 2-1 winners.

Current Sunshine Girls captain and best goal shooter in the world at the moment, Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, kept it simple when recalling her favourite memory facing the Roses throughout her illustrious career.

“My best memory playing against England throughout my career has to definitely be any time we’ve beaten them,” she told Sportsmax.tv at a Sunshine Girls training session at the National Indoor Sports Centre last Friday.

“I take great joy in going up against them, especially beating them on their home turf,” she added.

A major tournament was once again the setting for the pair’s next meeting, this time at the 2017 Fast5 Netball World Series in Australia.

Jamaica defeated England 47-38 in the round robin stage but it was England who had the last laugh, defeating the Sunshine Girls 34-29 when it mattered most to win the title for the first time.

The teams next locked horns in the last four at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.

England entered that game in red hot form, dominating everyone in the preliminary round on their way to a 5-0 record while Jamaica’s only loss up to that point in their five preliminary round games was to Australia.

The teams fought to the death in the semi-final with England eventually coming out victorious 56-55 before winning another nail-biter, 52-51 over Australia, to win gold.

Jamaica took bronze with a 60-55 win over New Zealand.

Current Sunshine Girl and global netball star, Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, described that semi-final as a bittersweet moment when asked about her most vivid memories of facing the Roses in her career.

“I would say it’s a bad and a good memory because at least we were able to challenge England to that extent,” she told Sportsmax.tv.

A few months later that same year, the Girls got their revenge with a 3-0 Test series whitewash over their counterparts at home. The 2023 Suncorp Super Netball player of the year described this series as the best moment of her national team career, so far.

Moving on to the 2019 Netball World Cup which was hosted by England where the rivalry renewed in the preliminary round.

The hosts came out winners 56-48 and went on to claim bronze while Jamaica failed to advance to the semi-finals, finishing fifth.

Jamaica came out on top over the Roses at the 2020 Netball Nations Cup in England. They met in the third round with the Sunshine Girls coming out 70-66 winners before eventually losing the final 56-67 to New Zealand.

2021 saw England’s Roses secure their first Test series win over the Sunshine Girls since 2013 with a 2-1 win in Nottingham.

The two sides last met in January 2023 in a three-match test series played in Manchester and London which saw the Vitality Roses defeat Jamaica 73-52 in the first match, take a narrow 58-61 loss in the second match, and claim the series with a 63-59 win in the third and final test.

Amazingly, the two sides didn’t meet at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham or last summer’s Netball World Cup in South Africa.

The Sunshine Girls took silver in Birmingham while the Roses finished fourth. The World Cup saw England take home a historic silver medal while Jamaica took bronze.

It remains to be seen who will come out on top in the latest edition of this rivalry but one thing’s for sure, it will be exciting.