KINGSTON, Jamaica—Jamaica’s national netball team, the Sunshine Girls, has received a formal invitation to participate in the prestigious Netball World Cup 2027 scheduled for Sydney, Australia. The international championship will run from August 25 to September 5, 2027, spanning twelve days of elite competition.
World Netball, the sport’s global governing body, announced on Thursday that six top-ranked teams as of December 1, 2025, have earned automatic qualification. Tournament hosts Australia lead the invited teams, followed by world number two New Zealand, third-ranked Jamaica, fourth-place England, fifth-positioned South Africa, and sixth-ranked Uganda.
Uganda secured their position by narrowly edging out Wales after maintaining an unbeaten record throughout the Celtic Cup tournament. Their decisive 70-48 victory against the Welsh Feathers on the final competition day proved crucial for qualification.
The initial six qualified teams will be joined by ten additional squads determined through five regional qualifying tournaments scheduled for 2026. The top two teams from each regional qualification event will complete the sixteen-team roster for the 2027 World Cup championship.
This early qualification provides Jamaica’s netball program with substantial preparation time as they aim to improve upon their bronze medal performance at the previous World Cup tournament.