Not only will there be eight teams in the top flight of the Guernsey Netball Association’s Winter League for a season beginning next Tuesday, but these sides will be shaken up by new and returning players.
The Specsavers Lightning scene has undergone many of the biggest shifts, including their C team, Storm, being promoted into the ‘Prem’ to join Strike and Flash.
Top team Strike will, besides the experienced trio of Donna Brehaut, Charlotte Hill and Anais Flatres, be completely changed compared to last season. Steph Batiste makes a welcome return from long-term injury as others step up from lower teams.
As a Specsavers player, league commissioner Lynne Jennings is fully aware how different their top team looks.
‘The A team will have only three of the same players as last year – substantial changes to our A team,’ she said.
‘And Blaze have a lot of previous players that have come back to them.’
Notably, SNC Blaze A will be welcoming back three particularly long-term players Nena Copperwaite, Roxanne Wylie and Hannah Blondel.
But Blaze will be losing their B team that consisted largely of youngsters who are now university-aged.
Champions Resolution IT Green and Black – who won the main league and play-offs respectively – remain ‘very stable’, according to the league commissioner.
‘They have a few younger signings – the youth coming in,’ Jennings said.
‘I think this is going to be an interesting one to watch for the Prem.’
The Island Men and U19s complete the top flight, though their matches will be played as ‘friendlies’.
‘It’s to help them develop better and also to help the other teams develop,’ Jennings added.
‘The men are a very different style of playing.’
In Division One, the disbanding of the high-flying Praxis Thunder Orange team opens things up, with their clubmates Blue nevertheless being promoted in. The successful club are now under the Rathbones banner following a change in sponsor.
Specsavers Lightning Flare are coming in as a new team for their club, while Elizabeth College II have been moved up on request, with development in mind.
It is, at seven teams, narrowly the league’s smallest division but still one larger than last year.
‘We’ve tried to even it out with all the divisions – eight teams in all but one.’
Although Divisions Two and Three contain eight, the latter will split into halves after the first round of fixtures.
In what promises a dramatic start to the season, all four of the league’s main title sides will be competing at Les Varendes on the opening Tuesday.
Rezzers Green take on Lightning Strike at 7pm, followed by Black facing Blaze at 8.15pm.
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