Following a long season competing in the top South Region division, Marta and Charlotte (Upper V) and Millie (Lower V) finished undefeated at the top of the league with their netball club, Eagles. This secured a place at the U16 National club finals. 

These students travelled to the Joan Brown Arena at Redbridge Leisure Centre last weekend, for two full days of netball in order to compete to become U16 National Club Champions. The team were placed in Section F, competing against Telstars and Stratford Thunderbirds on Day 1. 

In their first game, Eagles dominated the match against Telstars, recording a 45-16 win. With only a short rest, the team recovered to beat Thunderbirds 31-18. This stunning start placed Eagles into Group Y for the afternoon. The afternoon followed a similar pattern to the morning, with wins against Grangetown and Kingston Phoenix. 

Day 2 was the chance for the team to be crowned National Champions as they were playing against teams competing for 1st-6th places. Eagles easily saw off Weston Park Blades 38-17 in their first match. Turnford were up next, which would prove to be the most tightly contested match yet. The scores turned in favour of both sides throughout the game, as possession and flow for each team fluctuated. Eventually, following a nail-biting final quarter, Eagles pulled away in the final minutes to win 27-22. This meant they were through to the final against Bury. 

Despite Eagles being unbeaten over the course of the weekend, Bury were just too strong, coming out 33-16 winners. Nevertheless, this can’t take away from the fact that these students and their team are the 2nd placed U16 netball club in the country!

As quoted on the England Netball website “Eagles showed a lot of skill and teamwork throughout the weekend, they won all their previous matches, navigating some tough opposition to make it to the final”. This is a huge achievement for these talented players – a big congratulations to you and your team!