Netball goes from strength to strength

All sports have their story to tell about the COVID years. Girls Netball is no different but, just as for Boys Hockey and Boys Rugby VIIs, fixtures came drastically to a halt mid-season in 2020 when schools across the country closed. Even as face-to-face teaching gradually returned, there was still a huge impact on team sports. Bubbles were not allowed to mix and groups of pupils were not permitted to play together. As a result, there were no competitive fixtures for the entire 2021 Netball season.

The 2022 season became a time of rebuilding skills and confidence for players and coaches, and the MUGA was an excellent arena in which to begin the Netball season positively. With three purpose-built courts with fixed posts, netball became available at all times. No longer limited by availability, girls are able to play full court matches for longer periods of time in training sessions.

During this season - its second on the new courts - the MUGA has already hosted the South Powys Netball Tournament. Christ College U16 VII and U18 VII won the tournament, and the U13 VII were worthy runners-up. The U15 and U12 VIIs will get their chance in the same tournament on their home courts after half-term. News just in is that the U18 VII won the Regional Play-Offs hosted at Christ College on 15 February and are through to the National Finals. Our congratulations to them all on their success.

Any season isn’t only about matches; it’s also about improving the performance of the individual and the team. When the U16 and the U18 VII recently played in the Regional play-offs for the National Finals, the analyst team from Celtic Dragons Super League filmed their performance with a view to helping to refine their play. With seven girls being coached in the University of Wales Regional Academy, local league training every Monday, and players and coaches soon to be undertaking Umpire training provided by the Welsh Netball League, it’s no wonder that Netball at Christ College continues to go from strength to strength.

To celebrate a story that goes back to 1987/88, we’ve put up a gallery of 1st Netball VII photographs from 1988/89 onwards. The Tempest photographs from 2000 to 2019 are reproduced as low-resolution images with the kind permission of Tempest. Original prints can be purchased directly from Tempest-Groups.

If you have a Netball VII photograph that doesn’t appear in the Gallery, please let Huw or Felicity know. We’d like to be able to achieve a full set.