The England U17 squad pose together in a group on court at their prep camp in Nottingham.
This week (23-26 Feb), the U17 Europe Netball Championships takes places in Antrim, Northern Ireland. Neve Marsden previews the action and gives an insight into the team’s preparations.
The 2023 competition consists of five nations: Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The U17 England squad, made up of 12 athletes, has been preparing over the last couple of months to compete in the round robin tournament.
Their aim is to defend the title with five players hoping to gain their first junior cap (World Netball recognised U17-U21 appearances) in an international arena.
Vice-captain Emily Pawlett said: “Europe Netball is a great opportunity to showcase what we’ve been working on throughout the season.
“It’s also an invaluable experience staying away for a week as a team – something we won’t forget.”
The squad of 12 came together for a preparation camp at Nottingham University on Monday 20 February.
With team targets in place and a well contested game against the University of Nottingham (UON) BUCS team, this set a tone for the rest of the week.
There was also time in the schedule for studying and recovery, ensuring positive wellbeing (including staff!), as well as some fun activities away from the court such as an amusing yet competitive marriage themed ‘Project Runway’ to celebrate the team’s performance analyst’s upcoming wedding.
Before heading to Northern Ireland, an athlete-led performance analysis session helped further build game strategies which were then implemented in a court session to connect as a team while showcasing individual talents.
Discussing the preparation camp, Hannah Gibson said: “It was a great chance to explore combinations and perfect our set plays and tactics before Europe Netball.”
The competition is being live streamed by Europe Netball TV on YouTube. There will also be updates at the end of each game on Twitter.
England U17 Fixtures:
| Friday 24 February 2023 | 12:30 | England U17 vs. UAE U17 |
| Saturday 25 February 2023 | 09:00 | England U17 vs. Scotland U17 |
| Saturday 25 February 2023 | 17:45 | England U17 vs. Wales U17 |
| Sunday 26 February 2023 | 14:15 | England U17 vs. Northern Ireland U17 |
