Netballers ready for international debut

Island's U17 team head to Dublin tournament

The Manx Rams under-17 netball team heads to its first international competition this week.

The Island's youngsters will be competing in the International Netball Federation Netball Europe U17 Championships at Gormanston Park in Dublin, which runs from Friday until Sunday (12-14 October).

The championship will be contested by six countries – Isle of Man, United Arab Emirates, Malta, Gibraltar, Republic of Ireland and Switzerland - and played in a round-robin tournament over the three days.

The team leaves on Wednesday and consists of 12 travelling players, two non-travelling reserves, coaches Emma Williams and Charlotte Christian and team managers Debbie Evans and Laurelle Kneen.

It's hoped they can emulate the senior squad, who won silver at the Netball Europe Challenge competition in Gibraltar in May.