Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter

Deputy British High Commissioner Paul Nicolopulo (right) chats with guests (from left) Rowena Connor, Caroline Woodcook and Doug Oxford. They were at a reception hosted for visiting England netball team by Nicolopulo at his Millsborough residence, last Tuesday.

On the court, it's all tenacity and competition. But off the court, the camaraderie between Jamaica's netballers and their English counterparts is great.

This was evident at a reception hosted by Deputy British High Commissioner Paul Nicolopulo and his wife Kareen, for the players and team officials on Tuesday evening. There were jokes aplenty about the walloping the Jamaicans took in Monday's match, but it was all in good fun. The local ladies never missed an opportunity to vow 'revenge'.

Truth is, veteran players on both teams know each other pretty well, and both teams have always been guests of the the high commission officials whenever they tour the island. Who says we all can't get along?

New Minister of Sports, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, added to the comedy, quipping that her first official activity in the portfolio was to attend Monday's game. She did 'big up' the English team and then pledged her support to the Sunshine Girls.

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"There's no reason the Reggae Boyz should get all the attention; you will be treated with the same respect," she said to lots of whoops and cheers from everyone.

Both sets of players took it easy on the alcohol as they were preparing for the final two back-to-back games of the series on Wednesday and Thursday. The teams are using the matches as preparation for the World Championships in New Zealand in November.