The Guernsey Netball Association had been working with their Jersey counterparts to push the ‘inters’ from their usual hosting in March, during which both islands are busy with domestic and regional leagues, to being an end-of-season event, but were unable to make suitable arrangements for 2026.
Guernsey director of netball Sally Carns hopes the inter-island highlight will come back stronger following a review of the event’s long-term development.
‘I know there’s been some upset around the netball community,’ she said. ‘But we’re hoping by taking that pause and working with Jersey ... we can really see the return of “inters” next year as a bigger and better event that puts the spotlight on netball.’
The GNA had earlier announced on social media that the islands had made the joint-agreement to cancel the event, citing ‘ongoing challenges around scheduling, eligibility clarification, team selection processes and creating an event that challenges and is of benefit to all’.
However, the planned return of netball’s own Island Games in autumn is set to help fill the void at senior level.
Jersey is to stage the second Island Invitational Netball Games from late October, building on the Isle of Man’s successful inaugural edition in November 2023.
Carns is hopeful that the Games could expand to eight island teams this year.
‘It’s really exciting that it’s growing from its inaugural event to become a bigger event.’
Yet the inter-insular cancellation remains a significant blow for the younger age groups and leaves many players without a big match to target this year.
‘It leaves a lot of our players really disappointed they do not have a showcase game or a fixture to build towards,’ Carns added.
Outside of the U16 Panthers’ south league campaigns, the 2025-26 season of which has just concluded, the main existing focus for younger players is a Player Development Programme trip to the UK in coming weeks.
But Carns has already put out an appeal for other outfits who can make a weekend trip to Guernsey this season, potentially bringing over teams in multiple age groups.
She is pleased to already have received multiple responses.
‘We are actively looking for someone, whether that can be a country or a club, that can bring across mixed age-group teams between now and the start of summer, so we can still have that showcase game.
‘It might just not be against Jersey.’
