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In their fifth outing of the Vitality Netball World Cup, the Vitality Roses take on Trinidad and Tobago at the M&S Bank Arena on Wednesday night.
The Lowdown
Netball is Trinidad and Tobago’s most successful international sport and they have a long history of appearances at the Vitality Netball World Cup, having played at 13 of the 14 tournaments to date.
The Trinidadians are one of just three countries to triumph on the world stage, having tied for first place with New Zealand and Australia 40 years ago. They remained undefeated throughout their regional qualifiers but have found victories hard to come by in Liverpool thus far.
They could not have had much of a tougher start, however, as they took on South Africa and Jamaica in their opening two games. A 67-56 win over Fiji on day three was a welcome reprieve but an agonisingly close defeat to an impressive Uganda followed.
Ones to Watch
Kalifa McCollin (GA) – Vibrant, athletic and accurate, goal attack Kalifa McCollin is a standout player for her country. The 23-year-old started playing netball – the sport of both her father and mother – 17 years ago and is now partaking in her second Vitality Netball World Cup. In her first, she finished with an impressive 92% shooting average. McCollin plays for Celtic Dragons in the Vitality Netball Superleague and scored 419 goals last season.
Rhonda John-Davis (WA) – Rhonda John-Davis is a veteran at this level. She has already set a world record for the number of Vitality World Cup appearances having previously played at the 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 editions of the tournament.
Samantha Wallace of Trinidad and Tobago. Image Credit | SWpix.com.
She has produced some fine performances during her sixth Vitality Netball World Cup, too. She is consistently in the top five for feeds and goal assists, of which she has 41, thanks to her superb vision.
Samantha Wallace (GS) – Samantha Wallace is an absolute star for Trinidad and Tobago in the shooting circle. Wallace is the first Trinidadian to play in the Suncorp Super Netball League in Australia, for New South Wales Swifts, and has showcased her skills at this tournament.
It was her first Vitality Netball World Cup in 2015 that caught the attention of many potential Australian suitors due to Wallace’s impressive 280-goal haul in Sydney. An imposing and reliable target, she has had a shooting accuracy of more than 90% in three of her four outings this summer.
Familiar Faces
There is just one member of the squad that featured in the Vitality Netball Superleague in 2019. Goal attack Kalifa McCollin enjoyed a fruitful season and the 23-year-old was a standout player for Celtic Dragons, finishing the campaign with 419 goals and subsequently earned a place in the league’s All-Star VII. Samantha Wallace played for Hertfordshire Mavericks in England in 2016 before her move to NSW Swifts (New South Wales) a year later.
Head-to-Head
Trinidad and Tobago have stepped on the court to face the Vitality Roses at eight previous World Cups with England winning five of those encounters.
Trinidad and Tobago Squad in Full
Aniecia Baptiste, Candice Guerero, Daystar Swift, Jameela McCarthy, Kalifa McCollin, Onella Jack Hill, Samantha Wallace (vice-captain), Shantel Seemungal, Shaquanda Greene, Shernece Seemungal, Tahirah Hollingsworth, Rhonda John-Davis (captain)
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