Panthers need funding injection

Coach Heidi Rosamund was delighted with her side’s performance in the qualifying weekend held in High Wycombe, but along with the Guernsey Netball Association now has the task of finding the money to allow it to happen.

‘We are very much looking forward to the start of the league in September, however we are struggling for funding,’ she said.

‘We’ve organised fundraisers for the summer and we’ve received some small donations form local businesses, but with a bill of £26,000 for the season and currently with no main sponsor to fall back on, we are finding it difficult to manage.

‘We are currently appealing to local businesses that would be willing to support this new and fantastic opportunity.’

The qualifiers got off to a great start, with Panthers beating a club that won the league last season.

All told, there were 20 teams competing in the age group and the Guernsey girls played three rounds of four games, each of them 2 x 10 minute halves.

‘In the first two rounds we placed third in each and in the second round lost two games by just one goal in the dying seconds,’ said Rosamund.

‘At this point lower placing teams went straight into Division 2 and their day was over, but we still had another exciting round to play.

‘By lunchtime we had a very tired squad [playing] in unbearable temperatures, but credit to them all, they continued to give their all and put in commendable performances against each team they came up against.

‘We played our last round, winning another two games comfortably. All the squad played their part on the day and considering that this was their first experience of a tournament playing netball at this level they were never appeared out of their depth.’

Overall Panthers placed 10th.

‘This is a fantastic achievement for the girls and the stuff dreams are made of,’ she added.

‘The coaching and management team couldn’t be more proud. We’ve coached most of the squad at island level for the past three seasons – seeing them grow and develop into such fantastic players and the squad they are makes us feel like proud parents, we’re all like a little family.

‘We are very much looking forward to next season and we have a long squad of 14 girls to select from each month, five of them being U13s. We have strength and depth in all areas of the court.

‘[The girls] will finally have a small break now for the summer, but we’ve already scheduled training to start early August with Tri-Fit coming on board to help with some strength and conditioning training.’