England Under 19s Are Netball Champions Of Europe
The future of netball in England certainly looks bright. Not only do we have some of the best youngsters in Europe coming through the ranks, but we also have the trophy to prove it! The England Under-19s squad won the Netball Europe tournament that was held in Cardiff earlier this month. Whilst our Under-17s and Open squads also did well, this talented young squad overshadowed them.
The squad had to battle their way through four matches to secure victory and did it in style. Not only were the results excellent, but also each individual player gave 100% and showed off her talents in front of the Welsh crowd. Here is a quick rundown of their tournament:
Northern Ireland – The very first game for the girls proved to be their toughest test of the tournament. Northern Ireland looked excellent and really gave them a run for their money. They may indeed be the side to watch for in the future. However, this game was to be England’s in the end. Neither side gained much of an advantage during the game, although England did manage to go ahead by 7 in the early moments of the match. Fantastic defending and counter-attack by Northern Ireland meant that every point was matched in the later stages of the game, but England ultimately merged victors with a 30-27 score line.
Scotland – The squad’s second match was a much more impressive victory with a final score of 36-15. It was obvious that the girls were beginning to get into their stride during the second game. However, the high point of the game was Katy Rose’s 9 goals from 11 attempts. It marked her return from serious injury and she demonstrated the fact that she hadn’t missed a beat and was possibly better than ever. Head coach, Kendra Slawinski, took the opportunity to praise the whole team though, stating:
This was a much better performance. It was a physical game, but our through-court defence and ball movement was particularly good, which saw us through.
Little did she know that it was to get better!
Gibraltar - The squad cruised to victory against Gibraltar, emerging victorious by an impressive margin of 63-10. The earlier matches proved to be warm up games as England really began to get into their stride. Both attack and defence were strong at this point, and England emerged as favourites to take the title… despite having home advantage against them for the final.
Wales – The Cardiff crowd resolutely cheered their girls on, but it was to be England that emerged victorious. The final score was 38-14 as a result of quick-paced end-to-end action that made the game more exciting than any other. England’s defence was outstanding, as was the attack. Captain Emma Lonsdale particularly showed her true colours and led the team gallantly.
The England Under-19s squad thoroughly deserved their victory and looked the best side in the competition by far. Here is to the future, because it definitely looks bright!
