Sunshine Girls defender Roxanna McLean is relishing the chance to showcase her talent internationally after securing a move to compete in this year’s Malaysia Netball Super League.
McLean, who will become the first Jamaican to play in the league, is set to represent Melaka Mystic in the competition, scheduled to run from April 11 to May 3. The tournament will feature eight teams contesting a single round-robin format, with the top teams advancing to the finals.
“I am pretty excited about this opportunity, I mean Malaysia is pretty far away, but it is an opportunity to be exposed to a different culture and a different style of play, so I am pretty nervous but also excited at the same time,” said McLean.
“I also think that it is going to be a huge exposure for me, playing in a professional league overseas for the first time in my career.”
McLean, 22, a former student of Denbigh High School, has been steadily building her international résumé since making her debut for Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls in 2023 against England on English soil. She added that she has been preparing herself mentally and physically for the league because there will be many quality players competing.
“What I have learned about this league is that this year, they have decided to take in a lot of imported players, so you will have players from Australia, New Zealand, Malawi, and Zimbabwe, and it is going to be a real melting pot of players from all over the world participating in this championship.”
As she prepares for the new challenge in Malaysia, McLean pointed out that fitness and continued preparation remain central to her focus.
WORKING ON FITNESS
“Currently, I have been putting in some individual work because I know that my fitness is going to be very important,” she said.
“I am also going to return to training with the Sunshine Girls pretty soon, and that will also be very important for me and will help to contribute to my process.”
She also highlighted that playing in this year’s Malaysian netball league is a massive opportunity and a major step forward in her young career.
“This is a big opportunity for me because it is a chance to really put my name out there and it is my first overseas contract, so I know persons will be looking at this league,” she said. “It is a league where different players will be coming in, so there are going to be some eyes down there, and I am looking forward to going there and playing.”
McLean added that the opportunity to play professionally overseas was made possible with the help of her England-based agent.
“I have a manager who is based in England and she helps to sign players for Step Out Seven, so she was the one who got some information that a team in Malaysia was looking for a defender, and she reached out to me, so I will be going there as one of the imported players in the league,” McLean said.
