Competition in Jamaica is more aggressive than in SVG – Male netballer

Dorian Layne, one of the leading male netball players in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has concluded that netball outside of SVG is much more competitive than at home.

“Netball is more competitive in Jamaica,” Layne told SEARCHLIGHT in a recent interview following the completion of the 2025 Inter-Caribbean Airways sponsored Male Netball Premiership Championship in Jamaica held from February 28 to March 16.

Layne who is no stranger to MVP awards, said, “Coming out of the recent Inter-Caribbean Tournament in Jamaica I can say that compared to netball in St Vincent and the Grenadines, tournaments overseas are more competitive for a number of reasons. In countries like Jamaica especially, they take the sport more seriously and they play more aggressive netball than the guys here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.”

One reason for this difference is “they also have different coaching styles, whereas here in St Vincent and the Grenadines, I already know how the players play. When I go overseas I have to adapt to a different style of play and coaching.”

Layne said, however, that he has been able to adapt and become a “standout player because of my ability to adapt my skills, my shooting accuracy and mindset towards the sport”.

“In any game I’m about to play, I always tell myself ‘you’re the best’. I believe in order for players here in St Vincent and the Grenadines to improve whether male or female, we must first take the sport more seriously, approach it with a better attitude, and put in the work necessary to get the results we are looking for. We must have the mindset that we are the best and could win at any level whether regionally or internationally,” he said.

“ Although male netball doesn’t have a world ranking as yet, from the last Americas tournament hosted in St Kitts, we (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) are third in the Caribbean. That means there’s lots of work to be done. I know there’s much stigma attached to males playing netball because it’s predominantly a female sport, but it’s brings me much joy to not only represent myself but also my country and being one of the best in the region; for that I’m grateful.”

Layne reminisced on the days when he used to shoot a ball “through bicycle rims attached to trees and light poles, to now travelling overseas as an international player winning every goal shooter award in every tournament I’ve ever played in.”

In the 2025 Inter-Caribbean Airways- sponsored Male Netball Premiership Championship, the Tournament MVP was Naturi Jackson, who was also adjudged best mid-court player.

The best defender was Vukile Zulu; best attacker Dorian Layne; and the Champion Coach, Tamara Hylton.

Meanwhile another Vincentian male netball player, Akeil Bute, set a new record for the most goals scored in a single game by a player when he scored 47 goals against Spartans during the 2025 Inter-Caribbean Airways sponsored Male Netball Premiership Championships.