Netball Team Secure the National Championship

Newman’s netball Academy are the best in the Nation. The team, who were crowned North West Champions earlier in the year, prevailed in the National Finals, held in Bournemouth over the weekend (March 16th-17th).

Despite Goal Defence Verity Collins and Goal Attack, Joanne Walker being absent from the Nationals, due to England commitments, the girls were unbeaten in the round robin stage. They triumphantly took easy victories over the best eight teams from around the country including; Essex, York, Staffordshire, Cornwall, Buckinghamshire, Nottinghamshire and Durham. Newman faced Taunton’s College, from Hampshire in the semi-final. Determination and a strong team ethic enabled the them to cruise through to win of 13-6. In the final, against Chelmsford County High (Essex), Newman continued to impress the crowds.

Jess Slater was extremely dominant in the defensive circle and the attack made up of Lucy Irving, Pippa Mugan and Fran Marshall produced some fantastic sharp passes but Captain, Lucy Irving, was taken to hospital towards the end of the first half with an injury.

The team managed to re-focus to finally take the Championship with a score of 15-8. Fran Marshall, who played Goal Attack said: "We owed it to ourselves and to our coach Ursula, to keep going and win the Nationals, Luckily, Charlotte Belshaw came on to replace Lucy as Centre and we all worked twice as hard to get the ball into Rach who was playing Goal Shooter. We made sure we went to go and see Lucy and we all crowded round her hospital bed."

Fran and Rachel were also awarded an extra award, as top scorers of the tournament with a total of 119 goals.

After celebrating the win, the academy travelled from Bournemouth to Cardiff to go and support their team mate Joanne Walker, who was representing England Under 19’s at the European Tournament.

But the wins aren’t to stop here, Coaches, Ursula, and Ann and the squad will only be content when they win the treble. To follow the National Championship they also want to take the British Colleges title in Loughborough and the British Colleges Knock out Trophy.

We are sure the team will get the result they truly deserve.

Squad
GK – Jess Slater
GD – Becky Hamlett
WD – Verity Collins, Lucy Blezard, Charlotte Belshaw
C – Lucy Irivng, Charlotte Belshaw
WA – Pippa Mugan
GA – Fran Marshall
GS – Rachel Bramhall

Results
Section
Newman V’s Chelmsford County High 11-6
Newman V’s Stoke On Trent Sixth Form 18-2
Newman V’s Truro 15-7
Newman V’s Beaconsfield High 16-7
Newman V’s Nottingham High 14-5
Newman V’s All Saints RC High 16-6
Newman V’s Hartlepool 18-0
Newman V’s Forest 11-8

Semis
Newman V’s Taunton’s College 13-6

Final
Newman V’s Chelmsford (runners up from section) 15-7

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