Men's teams join in as netball goes year-round

THE growing interest in playing netball in the summer shows no signs of ending. The league started in 1988 with just eight women's teams playing on the Grammar School courts.

This year, a total of 52 teams are taking part 26 women's, 22 mixed and, for the first time, four men's sides.

The increasing number of players has meant that the matches have moved from their original venue to Amherst initially and now to Beau Sejour.

Traditionally a winter sport, netball players can now play all year round.

'Its amazing, it just keeps growing,' said organiser Gill Queripel.

'When I started it in 1988, they said it wouldn't take off. The idea was to get more people into the sport.

'This is the first year for men and we've got four teams and let's hope that we have more next year. The mixed keeps going from strength to strength.'

In the women's leagues, Northern Trust have got off to a flyer by winning their first three matches.

They enjoyed two easy games but their last one against Any 7 proved to be trickier as they took a one-point victory with a score of 25-24.

Soakers have won two out of three with their sole defeat coming at the hands of Clare's Crusaders, 21-19, in a hotly-contested game. Heritage and Shooting Stars are the two other women's sides which are currently unbeaten.

In the mixed league, Ernst & Young, Northern Trust, TFC, Post Office and RBSI have yet to taste defeat this season.

While in the men's league, Maverick's and Jamie 1 have 100% records and it will very interesting when these two meet.