Calypso Girls Qualify for 2027 Netball World Cup with Dominant Win Over British Virgin Islands

Trinidad and Tobago's national netball team, the Calypso Girls, sealed their place at the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia, following a dominant 106-16 victory over the British Virgin Islands at the Americas Netball World Cup Qualifiers at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex in Bridgetown, Barbados. The victory extended Trinidad and Tobago’s undefeated run to six consecutive matches, guaranteeing the team a finish in the top two of the tournament standings and securing their spot at the global showpiece.

The Calypso Girls established control from the opening whistle against the British Virgin Islands, even while resting star goal-shoot Samantha Wallace-Joseph. Trinidad and Tobago stormed to a 29-3 advantage by the end of the first quarter and expanded their lead to 61-6 at half-time. Continuing their unrelenting pressure in the second half, the team pushed the score to 86-12 at the end of the third period before wrapping up the 90-plus point win. The performance marked the first time any team in the qualifying competition reached triple digits and recorded the largest winning margin of the tournament, leaving the British Virgin Islands winless across six matches.

Reflecting on the record-breaking win, Trinidad and Tobago head coach Liselle Johnson expressed immense pride in the performance, explaining that the squad had established clear targets ahead of the fixture. Johnson noted that the team set out to score a minimum of 25 goals per quarter by relying on strong centre-court defence and rapid ball transition to the shooting circle. Looking ahead to their final fixture against hosts Barbados, Johnson stressed the importance of squad cohesion and mental discipline, stating that unity remains the team’s core strength as they aim to conclude the qualifying tournament with an unblemished record.

The decisive victory over the British Virgin Islands built upon a series of commanding displays throughout the qualifying campaign in Bridgetown. In their fifth match, the Calypso Girls posted a 61-32 win over Canada, where shooter Maikea Bramble delivered a standout performance by converting 55 of her 58 attempts, supported by Kalifa McCollin, who scored all six of her shots. Earlier in the tournament, Trinidad and Tobago weathered a stern challenge from the United States, pulling through with a 43-38 win after trailing 8-6 in the first quarter. In that match, a late interception by centre Shantel Seemungal and subsequent finishing by Wallace-Joseph, who was named Player of the Match, helped secure the win. The team also notched victories against Grenada (61-45) and St Vincent and the Grenadines (73-41).

The Americas Qualifiers determine the final two regional berths for the 2027 Netball World Cup, joining six nations that gained automatic qualification based on global rankings and hosting status: Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, England, South Africa, and Uganda. In the overall tournament standings, St Vincent and the Grenadines remained in strong contention for the second qualifying spot after recording a 77-52 victory over Grenada, following a crucial 49-43 win against host nation Barbados. Trinidad and Tobago entered the final match day as the sole undefeated team, seeking to crown their successful qualification campaign with a clean sweep against Barbados.