KINGSTON, Jamaica – The countdown has formally begun for the extremely anticipated return of the Purple Stripe Flavours Netball Jamaica Elite League, as officers confirmed a June 27 tip-off for the 2025 season.
The League’s electrifying draft, held on the Jamaica Olympic Affiliation headquarters on Friday, June 6, set the aggressive tone for what guarantees to be a month-long competition of elite netball motion.
The battle strains are drawn
The 2025 version will function 5 dynamic groups, every led by top-tier coaches who’re presently pursuing Degree 3 certification below Netball Jamaica’s teaching improvement program. The groups and their respective coaches are:
- Jamaica U21 Shiners – Coach Annett Daley
- Kingston Hummingbirds – Coach Jodi Ann Ffrench Kentish
- Manchester Spurs – Coach Dalton Hines
- St Ann Orchids – Coach Kurt Dale
- St Catherine Racers – Co-Coaches Kerry Ann Brown and Rasheed Josephs
The inclusion of the nationwide Beneath-21 group, coached by Daley, provides a strategic layer to this yr’s competitors. With the Netball Youth World Cup in Gibraltar quick approaching in September, the League will function a vital stage for fine-tuning the group’s preparation towards senior-level opposition.
A champion returns, and new rivals emerge
The Manchester Spurs, led by Coach Hines, enter the 2025 season as defending champions, with a goal on their backs and each different group wanting to knock them from the throne. The Spurs will face fierce opposition from returning contenders and the rejuvenated Jamaica U21 squad, whose youthful power and World Cup ambition might upset the stability of energy.
Including additional intrigue to this yr’s competitors is the historic drafting of two worldwide gamers — one based mostly in England and the opposite in Australia — marking the first time overseas athletes will take part within the League.
“This injection of world expertise will assist to raise the extent of curiosity within the competitors and supply a singular alternative for native gamers to showcase their expertise alongside the most effective,” mentioned Simone Forbes, Netball Jamaica Vice President.
Stars align: Sunshine Ladies take middle courtroom
Ranked third on this planet, Jamaica’s netball pedigree will probably be on full show, as all regionally based mostly Sunshine Ladies — members of the nationwide senior group — will probably be unfold throughout the League’s 4 Elite franchises. They are going to be joined by former nationals and rising stars from divisional competitions, creating an electrical mix of expertise and rising expertise.
“All of our regionally based mostly Sunshine Ladies will participate within the competitors… together with former nationals and different aspiring Sunshine Ladies who have been drafted from our Divisional Leagues,” Forbes confirmed.
Innovation meets depth: The format and options
The League will probably be contested in a Spherical Robin format, adopted by playoffs to find out the champion. Returning to thrill followers is the Powerade Energy Play, a tactical twist that permits groups to attain two-point tremendous pictures in the course of the ultimate three minutes of every quarter.
Moreover, coaches can have entry to the Marathon Brokers Tactical Timeout, a strategic device to reset momentum and modify gameplay on the fly.
All matches will probably be hosted on the Nationwide Stadium Complicated in Kingston on Fridays and Sundays, from June 27 to July 27, 2025 — a compact however action-packed season that guarantees drama, athleticism, and world-class netball.
Backed by huge names: Sponsors energy the league ahead
This yr’s League enjoys sturdy assist from each title sponsor Purple Stripe Flavours and affiliate sponsors Powerade and Marathon Brokers. Group sponsorship is supplied by Texaco Caribbean, Mitsubishi Motors, Xpress Sports activities, and Nature Valley — a testomony to the rising attraction and industrial energy of the Elite League.
With elite expertise, worldwide taste, and innovation baked into each fixture, the 2025 Purple Stripe Flavours Netball Jamaica Elite League is about to be probably the most exhilarating season but.
