Bernard (second left) - File photo

CANBERRA, Australia (CMC):

Former world champions Australia have intensified preparation for forthcoming international engagements, including a two-game series against Jamaica.

Labelled as the start of their 'official preparations' for the World Netball Championships (WNC), Australia began a training camp this week at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

Unseated in recent years by New Zealand as World Champions, World No.1, and Commonwealth Games champions, Australia tour England in May to start a busy period of internationals leading up to the 2007 WNC in New Zealand in November.

During the current camp, the squad is undergoing an intense programme of fitness training, match play, specialist sessions with Assistant Coaches Sue Kenny and Nicole Cusack, as well as court work skills sessions.

The five-day camp is the final opportunity for squad members to hone their skills and test their fitness before the team of 12 players for the series against England, England A and New Zealand, is announced on April 1.

"We have a long and busy year ahead of us and come November, the players will be in the best form physically, mentally and skilfully for the World Championships," National Coach, Norma Plummer said.

"A number of clashes against New Zealand, England and Jamaica have been scheduled and Australia is eagerly looking forward to each contest to strengthen our preparations to regain our world title," Plummer added.

Positions available

Six positions are still available in the World Championship squad and Plummer invited four new players - Caitlin Thwaites, Madison Browne, Kate Beveridge, and Susan Fuhrmann - to attend the camp this week.

"Places are still available in the national squad, so during the year I will invite netballers who show great potential, to attend training camps," Plummer said.

"To bring home the world title from Auckland, we have a lot of hard work to do over the next eight months. It will be a tough year, but we can do it," she said.

Caribbean champions Jamaica, currently ranked third in the world behind New Zealand and Australia, will be travelling in July to play a series of test matches against Australia and New Zealand, ahead of November's World Championships.

Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) president Marva Bernard, said recently that the pre-WNC trip will give the new players in the Jamaica squad the chance to acclimatise to conditions in the southern hemisphere, as well as get used to playing a different style of netball.

"It's going to be cold down there, and some of the girls will be going there for the first time, so it's a great opportunity for them and the coach to look at what we have, and also get us fully prepared for the world championships in New Zealand later this year," she said.

Jamaica will play two tests against Australia, in Melbourne (July 5) and Sydney (July 8), before travelling to New Zealand to play the Silver Ferns in Christchurch on July 12 and in Auckland on July 14.