Cricket centre to host Super League

GUERNSEY is one step ahead of Jersey because their netballers have called for their games to be played indoors, according to Gill Queripel. Bad weather has caused havoc with Jersey's fixtures, with reports that their league might not finish before the end of the season. A campaign is gathering momentum for indoor or covered courts to be made available for them.

But island coach Queripel says that the Guernsey Netball Association had addressed this situation and were already looking to play more matches indoors.

'That's what Guernsey is going to do for the new Super League,' she said.

'It's going to be played at the new cricket centre, but it's going to start in Beau Sejour in September. We are definitely one step ahead of Jersey.

'But it's not just the rain, it's the wind as well. I agree with them, we don't like getting wet.'

When the new Super League kicks off in September, it will be played every Thursday night in the Sir John Loveridge Hall at Beau Sejour.

It is set to move to the new centre at Hougue du Pommier after the venue's planned to opening at Christmas.

The new competition will run separate to the main league and is designed to take the place of the weekly island training sessions.

It will contain five new teams - Panthers, Thundercats, Zebras, Roos and Sharks - and each of these can have no more than four island squad members in their ranks.

The Vets are also entering a team.

Island player Nena Bourgaize is looking forward to the new league and to playing away from the elements.

'It will be nice to play every week and for it not to be cancelled. It is a bit of a pain that we have to play outside.

'I think everyone would prefer to play indoors. The league is going to be good as Nerine win the main league all the time.

'And it's bringing the other players through as well.'

Trials are going to be held for other netballers who wish to play and each team will have one junior academy player.

The Super League is the brainchild of Queripel and she hopes that one day netball will have a centre for itself.

She also looks to top-flight netball in the UK where all the games are played indoors.

'The Super League won't distract from the GNA and it should raise the standard of netball right through the GNA league,' she said.

'It comes from the UK south region games. All their games are indoors but finding a facility that has three indoor courts on the island is impossible.

'If there is a wonderful millionaire out there who would like to build us a big shed that would take these three netball courts, we would love him or her.

'Or perhaps Beau Sejour could put a roof over our courts. That would be nice. We'd like to play indoors, we really would.'