The Sunshine returns for Celtic Dragons when they host Strathclyde Sirens in a Vitality Netball Superleague match in Cardiff on Monday.
Jamaican international Latanya Wilson is back in the Dragons team and they will relish having the tenacity and quality of the Sunshine Girlz defender on court again.
Wilson missed their 69-38 defeat at London Pulse after being suspended for being sent off for dangerous play during their previous fixture against Team Bath.
The former Gaynstead High School pupil also studied entertainment and culture at the University of West Indies.
Wilson was part of the Jamaican squad who defeated England 70-66 in the Netball Nations Cup semi-finals at London’s Copper Box before being edged out 56-67 by New Zealand in the final.
Dragons’ play their fourth Superleague fixture of the season, against Scottish visitors Sirens at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff (7pm).
Strathclyde earned a standing ovation from a capacity attendance when they powered to a 61-53 victory against Surrey Storm at the Emirates Arena in their last match.
Sirens’ player of the match Lynsey Gallagher said: “The main thing is that we came away with a win on our first home game of the season.
“We were so close in our last two games played and we knew that if we put out a performance for the full 60-minutes we can take the win off teams.
“There are still areas where we can improve on, but we were really pleased with how things went against Storm.”
📢 Latest update from Celtic Dragons regarding COVID-19:
@celtic_dragons matches are still scheduled to proceed including Monday's game against @SirensNetball
Other Welsh Netball performance activities have been suspended until 4 April.
Read more ⬇️https://t.co/IzjA12B5pv pic.twitter.com/h5oxXUDLvN
— LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons (@cardiffdragons_) March 13, 2020
Monday’s fixture in Cardiff:
Squads, Celtic Dragons: Dee Bolakoro, Abby Tyrrell, Paige Kindred, Amy Clinton, Sophie Morgan, Rebekah Robinson, Latanya Wilson, Shone O’Dwyer, Rhian Evans, Brittany Coleman, Eleri Michael, Laura Burton, Lucy Howells, Annie O’Rourke
Strathclyde Sirens: Claire Maxwell (player/coach), Nicola McCleery, Niamh McCall, Taylor Cullen, Gia Arbernethy, Emma Barrie, Lynsey Gallagher, Lauren Tait, Bethan Goodwin, Kelly Boyle, Zanele Vimbela, Emily Nicholl, Natalie Bright, Cerys Cairns, Sarah MacPhail.
Loughborough Lightning v Saracens Mavericks, scheduled for Monday, has been postponed.
The sports centre at University of Essex has been closed because of CoronaVirus.
No other Superleague fixtures have been called off at this time.
Superleague results from Saturday: Severn Stars 59, Wasps 54; Surrey Storm 42, Manchester Thunderers 60
Superleague fixtures scheduled on Monday, March 16: Loughborough Lightning v Saracens Mavericks (postponed); Celtic Dragons v Strathclyde Sirens (at the Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff, 7pm); Team Bath v London Pulse (7.30pm).
Vitality Netball Superleague coronavirus statement
👉 https://t.co/3kDvs34L5e pic.twitter.com/bxry7Roiie
— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) March 13, 2020
Welsh Netball have decided to suspend all performance activities, including squad training, talent centres, LA Hubs and competitions at all levels in Wales with immediate effect, until April 4 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
This decision excludes Celtic Dragons’ Vitality Netball Superleague games.
Dragons will continue to monitor this situation on a day-by-day basis and will continue to provide updates when appropriate.
Tickets for all Celtic Dragons 2020 games are available here via Ticketline.
Vitality Netball Superleague
Celtic Dragons fixtures 2020 (19 regular season rounds)
February
Saturday 22: Celtic Dragons 43, Surrey Storm 44
Saturday 29: Celtic Dragons 52, Team Bath 71
March
Monday 9: London Pulse 69, Celtic Dragons 38
Monday 16: Celtic Dragons v Strathclyde Sirens (Sports Wales National Centre, 7pm)
Saturday 21: Manchester Thunder v Celtic Dragons (Belle Vue, 5pm)
Saturday 28: Celtic Dragons v Saracens Mavericks (Sports Wales National Centre, 4pm)
April
Monday 6: Severn Stars v Celtic Dragons (Gloucester University, 7pm)
Friday 10: Loughborough Lightning v Celtic Dragons (Sir David Wallace Arena, 7pm)
Monday 13: Celtic Dragons v Loughborough Lightning (Sport Wales National Centre, 7pm)
Saturday 18: Surrey Storm v Celtic Dragons (Surrey Sports Park, 6pm)
Saturday 25: Celtic Dragons v Wasps (Viola Arena, 4pm)
Wednesday 29: Team Bath v Celtic Dragons (Team Bath Arena, 7.30pm)
May
Saturday 2: Celtic Dragons v London Pulse (Viola Arena, 4pm)
Saturday 9: Strathclyde Sirens v Celtic Dragons (Emirates Arena, 2pm)
Saturday 16: Celtic Dragons v Manchester Thunder (Sport Wales National Centre, 4pm)
Saturday 23: Saracens Mavericks v Celtic Dragons (Hertfordshire Sports Village, 4pm)
Saturday 30: Celtic Dragons v Severn Stars (Sport Wales National Centre, 4pm)
June
Saturday 6: Celtic Dragons v Surrey Storm (Viola Arena, 4pm)
Monday 15: Wasps v Celtic Dragons (University of Warwick, 7pm)
Saturday 27: Knockout semi-finals (Venue to be confirmed)
July
Saturday 4: Grand final (Venue to be confirmed, 5.30pm)
Vitality Netball Superleague standingsble
Pos | Team | P | W | L | Pts |
1 | Manchester Thunder | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 |
2 | Team Bath | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
3 | London Pulse | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
4 | Saracens Mavericks | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
5 | Strathclyde Sirens | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
6 | Loughborough Lightning | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
7 | Wasps Netball | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
8 | Surrey Storm | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
9 | Severn Stars | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
10 | Celtic Dragons | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |