Proteas vice-captain Karla Pretorius fired up for the Jamaican tour

The Free State Crinums captain, who led her team to victory in the 2024 Telkom Netball League, shared with SABC Sport that she has never faced the Sunshine Girls on their home turf before, however, she is thrilled by the challenge ahead.

The Proteas' month-long tour will include matches in Jamaica and the United Kingdom, where they will compete against hosts England, Malawi, and Africa Nations Cup 2024 finalists Uganda in the Nations Cup.

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Pretorius, a member of the Spar Proteas squad for the 2023 World Cup held on home soil in Cape Town, believes the Sunshine Girls will pose a formidable challenge to the African champions.

“I think what makes Jamaica such a challenging team is their experience and the depth of quality players across the court. If their starting lineup isn’t delivering, they have a strong second line ready to step in at any moment. They’re athletic, tall, and exceptionally skilled at what they do. They’re a tough team to face,” said Pretorius.

Pretorius stated that the team would stick closely to coach Jenny van Dyk's game plan to disrupt the third-ranked side on their home ground. Currently ranked fifth, the Proteas will face Jamaica, the first top four team on their schedule for the year.

"As Coach Jenny said, facing strong teams like this is exactly what we need to improve our game. It's the only way we can get better. We're excited about the challenge of playing against Jamaica in Kingston, especially since it's my first time facing them there. We're not just aiming to compete; we want to win those games," added Pretorius.