On Sunday 17 May, two teams representing Jersey took part in a charity Walking Netball tournament in East Grinstead, together with teams from Worthing, Eastbourne and the Netbelles Sussex.
Unfortunately due to predicted bad weather, a number of local teams dropped out so games were played on one outdoor court with strong support and encouragement from those not playing.
Jersey 1 started off against Worthing which was closely fought with the reds just taking the win 9-8. Jersey 2 then took a win against the Netbelles after decisive mid court passing to the D, and precision shooting from Sharon Buesnel and Tina Duckworth.
The round robin format resulted in wins and losses for both teams as accurate shooting kept games high scoring and any errors were quickly capitalized on.
The mood of the tournament was competitive but friendly and with teamwork and humour on display at all times.The final fixture between Jersey 1 and 2 resulted in a 7-7 draw leading to a rematch for 3rd place which 1 took by one goal. Jersey player O’Regan won the player of the tournament prize.
Whilst both Jersey teams drew on the experience of seasoned ex league players like Suzanne Follain and Janice Sutcliffe, the majority players in both teams had not played since school days until they tried walking netball and the average age is definitely over 50.
Everyone held their own and contributed to high quality netball with a mix of turnovers, accurate passes and excellent shooting plus plenty of speed walking.
All the other teams have requested info on coming to play in Jersey which speaks volumes about the friendship and companionship within walking netball.
If you are interested in having a go, they train at Langford on Sunday mornings 10-11.30 and new members are always welcome.
