Local girls head to Singapore with NI netball squad

The 22-year-old, one of four players from Lisburn club Larkfield in the squad of 12, will be hoping to get the nod to start at goal defence for the opening group game against Sri Lanka on July 4.

Teams start off with three group games and thereafter play off for precise placings in the course of a further three fixtures and, fielding what is regarded as their strongest squad ever, Rice’s charges fancy their chances of quarter-final qualification.

Northern Ireland go into the tournament at an all-time high in the world rankings, up from 19th less than two years ago to their present position of 12th thanks to an impressive run under the current coach.

They won all six matches, four of them against teams ranked higher at the time, at the prestigious Nations Cup in Singapore in December 2009 to claim Northern Ireland’s first ever international trophy.

Not only did the girls in green take confidence from that success – they gained great experience in the process of playing opponents of contrasting styles and strengths from different continents in a similar schedule to what they’ll face from July 4, and of course it was also an advance chance for the squad to familiarise themselves with Singapore.

All but one of the World Cup squad have played there before and most have also experienced success at Under 21 World Championships, where Northern Ireland have a remarkable record. Seven of this group were part of the golden generation who achieved a superb sixth in Florida in 2005 while Deborah is one of three from the squad which finished an excellent eighth in the 2009 event in the Cook Islands.

Having missed out on appearing at the 2007 World Cup as a result of being beaten by both Scotland and Wales in the regional qualifying competition held in Lisburn five years ago this month, the girls in green booked their tickets to Singapore by beating both British rivals in the equivalent event in Glasgow last June.

They have been drawn in Pool A alongside Sri Lanka, against whom Northern Ireland will start favourites in the first group game, holders Australia and 10th ranked Samoa who they face in the final fixture. McCarthy is joined in the squad by her Larkfield club captain Caroline O’Hanlon, European player of 2010, and two more members of the team which won the Northern Ireland league and cup double last year – giant goalshooter Kyla Bowman and diminutive rookie Laura Mason.

Coach Rice, a former NI captain who played in the last two World Cups the team qualified for, in New Zealand in 1999 and Jamaica four years later, is young for an international coach having just turned 34 this month and unlike her Wales counterpart for example only operates on a part-time basis.