From Thursday 23rd February until Sunday 26th February, Netball Northern Ireland hosted the U17 European Championship and challenge event. Very kindly, they offered out places to schools to come and watch some matches (at a reduced rate).
Mrs McIntosh, Miss Johnston and Miss Porter took a total of 30 pupils from Year 10,11 and 12. All of these girls have been hugely dedicated to their Netball practice throughout the year, so we felt that this experience would be an excellent opportunity for them.
We watched three matches:
NI U17 Development Squad vs Switzerland
This was a very close match for the first half, with NI always ahead by a few points. Things changed in the 2nd half and NI really stepped up, coming away as eventual winners. Final score: 49-32 to N. Ireland
England vs UAE
This match was, for us, a feast for the eyes. Super playing by England as they put up goal after goal against UAE. I must say however, that at no point during the 4 quarters did UAE drop their heads. They remained motivated right to the wire. Final Score: 81-22 to England
Scotland vs Wales
Our final match was one where 6 of our girls were acting as ‘ball girls’ for the match. Basically, their roles were as such:
Wipe the floor/ball if directed to do so.
Retrieve ball if thrown far off court.
Nothing too taxing, but a lovely thing for Netball NI to offer the schoolgirls.
This was an amazing match. The two nations were well matched, keeping the score to within a single point for the majority of the match. Just towards the end, there were some silly mistakes in the circle leaving the final score 49-43 to Scotland.
This was a wonderful opportunity for all the girls, and I must say that they were all a credit to themselves and to the school.
Thanks for the company girls,
Mrs McIntosh, Miss Porter and Miss Johnston 
