Marva Bernard (right), president of the Jamaica Netball Association, hugs Sunshine Girl Paula Thompson while she models the Jamaica senior team's new playing gear that they will don in the upcoming three-Test series against England. Both were at a function where main sponsor Digicel contributed $1.2m to the team yesterday. - Contributed

Jamaica's Sunshine Girls yesterday received a $1.2 million boost from sponsors Digicel ahead of their departure today for the United Kingdom, where they will play a three-Test series against England.

The first match will be played on February 22 in the London Arena, the second on February 24 at the Sky Dome Arena in Coventry, and the third two days later at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham.

New playing gear

Wayne Miller, Digicel's head of marketing, presented his com-pany's cheque to team captain Simone Forbes and Marva Bernard, president of the Jamaica Netball Association, at Digicel's Grenada Way head office.

The Sunshine Girls also unveiled their new playing gear for the series.

Miller said his company is committed to the development of sports in the country.

"We have been in the top three in the world for many years and netball in Jamaica is one of our sports that are underrated, because it has not gotten the mileage that it deserves, and also the type of support that it deserves," said Miller. "We certainly try to play our part and we invite other corporate sponsors to come on board and help to support netball because we think that it is a very worthy effort for us and others to get involved in netball."

Bernard was delighted with the sponsorship and promised that the Sunshine Girls will do their best in the series.

"The team needs support in a big way because this team can be number one, and everybody in England, Australia and New Zealand knows this and fears playing against the Sunshine Girls," Bernard said.

She also pointed out that the money would go towards the team's airfare.

Cold weather

The Jamaicans, who are ranked fourth in the world, defeated England 53-52 to capture the bronze medal at the 2007 World Netball Championships in Auckland, New Zealand.

However, based on a revised ranking system, they are rated fourth in the world on the basis of an earlier 3-0 loss to England in a practice series.

Meanwhile, Forbes said despite the cold weather, to which most of the girls are not accustomed, she is confident that they are going to get the job done.

"We will have to contend with the weather but England just can't beat us," said Forbes. "I don't think that we will be focusing on the cold and any other obstacle that we might and will come up because it is just about the game."

Miller ... it is a very worthy effort.