This post was going to be about the recent Co-Operative World Netball Series tournament but after reading some rather ill-advised comments about netball we felt the need to post a response. A keen-eyed netball fan spotted the article in last Friday’s edition of the London Evening Standard, written by respected journalist and BBC TV presenter, John Inverdale. The online version can be found here, just after the piece about Wasps Rugby Club.
Credit where credit’s due; Mr Inverdale is at least writing about netball, and in an established newspaper. However, his comments have landed him in hot water with netball fans around the globe. Judging by his comments, he’s never actually played netball before and he’s all but branded it as being dull. Apparently, it just too easy to score in netball and this makes the game ‘repetitious and unfulfilling’. These comments followed an afternoon spent watching the top 6 teams in the world play a drastically modified version of the game at the World Netball Series in Manchester.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an elite player? In this video interview with TeachPE.com, England Coach Sue Hawkins gives a few tips and pointers on what it takes to be the best at netball, how to keep yourself fit and dealing with common injuries.
Sue’s natural competitiveness and passion for the game really shine through. Will her influence be enough to help England win gold at the next Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010?
Australia v England Netball Test - Adelaide, October 2008. Photo courtesy of paddynapper
The Co-operative World Netball Series will debut at the M.E.N Arena in Manchester from the 9 -11th October. The new format will challenge the fitness, technical ability and tactical awareness of the best players in the world according to IFNA, netball’s governing body. IFNA has invested a great deal of time over the last 12 months developing their Fast Net format which they consider innovative, with the hope of attracting new participants and broadening netball’s international fan base.
IFNA promises a ‘fast, ferocious and vibrant competition’ that will feature some of the world’s best players from the top six netball nations – currently Australia, England, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand and Samoa – and are treating this as an opportunity to showcase netball to the world.
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