Groves ‘excited’ about Reggae Girlz representation

WHILE SHE might have been born in Canada, it has always been Jamaica first for the international future of Israela Groves.

The daughter of former Harbour View FC and Jamaican national player Hubert ‘Junior’ Groves, Israela said her focus has always been on wearing the black, green, and gold, like her father.

Having now achieved her dream, Groves has said the focus is now on cementing her legacy alongside her international teammates.

“My mindset is, and always has been, to play for Jamaica and represent the country to the best of my ability, and war alongside my fellow teammates. I see all camp players, past, present and future, as having one purpose. That is, to represent Jamaica to the best of our abilities, regardless of who is standing next to me.”

Groves has had to contend with unfortunate timing on her way to representing Jamaica.

She was forced to decline her first call-up because of delays in obtaining a Jamaican passport and, after receiving her documents, she was once again forced out of national representation because of injury.

However, late last year, Groves made her competitive debut for the Reggae Girlz against Panama during the Concacaf W Gold Cup qualifiers.

Despite failing to qualify for the Concacaf W Gold Cup, Groves said she was elated with having finally gotten a chance to represent Jamaica.

“I was ecstatic but, the truth is, every time I get called, I’m just as excited as the first call,” she said.

“Whether it be training camps, Pan Am Games, or Gold Cup qualifying games, I find the rush is the same. Everybody wanted Jamaica to qualify. It was unfortunate not to, but everyone, including players, coaches and staff, gave their full effort, and that’s all I could’ve asked for.”

Groves is excited to have been selected in the Reggae Girlz squad for the pair of international friendlies against Brazil. She called it a massive opportunity to play alongside the group of players who had represented Jamaica at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

She hopes she can bring something new to the team with her skills in the midfield while learning from her more experienced teammates.

“I’m expecting to go into these matches anticipating highly technical Brazilian players, which fits within my style of play, but my ability to mix my technical skills with physicality should give me an advantage in the midfield. I’m looking forward to playing with the Reggae Girlz squad that has been assembled, as they also bring a lot of experience to the table.”

Jamaica are set to play Brazil on June 1 and 4.