The U18 netball team travelled to The British School of Brussels for their first ever end-of-season netball tournament. After months of dedicated training, the girls were eager for the opportunity to display their skills and to embrace the challenge of competing in several exciting matches.
The girls kicked off the competition with a dominant victory over St. George’s British International School of Rome and The British School of Brussels B team. Stellar efforts from two of our students on the defence, paired with precise aim from our two shooters, powered the team to a strong finish on Day 1.
The second day was always going to be a challenge for the girls, but they came out strong in the first half against The British School of Amsterdam. Throughout this game we had three key players who helped establish a solid lead by half-time. As the game progressed, the tempo picked up, and the final score was a dominant 49-0 in favor of the BSP.
In their next match against the International School of Geneva the girls passed with precision and shooting remained on target. The girls played exceptionally well but were narrowly defeated in the playoff match. After a well-deserved lunch, the girls were back on court to face the BSB A team in what turned out to be an incredible match. It was a nail-biter, with the teams neck and neck throughout, ultimately ending in a draw. Fortunately, the results in the playoff stages meant the girls still secured a spot in the final, where they would face Geneva once more.
The final was incredibly intense, perhaps even more so for the coaches than the players! Josephine and Eliza continued to deliver fantastic shooting, leveling the score at 15-15 by half-time. The girls began to realise they had an opportunity to lift the trophy and after one final motivating speech from our caption, the girls were ready to fight for every ball and come out on top. For every goal we scored, Geneva answered with one of their own.
With just two minutes left on the clock, our defensive duo fought fiercely to intercept and passed with power and precision to the attacking players to work their magic. In the final two minutes, both teams demonstrated exceptional skill, exchanging goals in rapid succession, each matching the other’s shots. As the final whistle blew in Brussels, the scoreboard read 27 goals for Geneva and 27 for the BSP. Our players delivered an outstanding performance and spectators were treated to an exhilarating match.
Securing a draw in the final was a remarkable achievement, capping off a highly successful netball season for our U18 netball team.
As coaches, we couldn’t be prouder of how our girls performed, but even more so of the sportsmanship and team spirit they showed in every match. It has been a fantastic season, and we are already looking forward to being back on court soon!
