Netball sees end of Round two of 31-team season

Netball completed its second round of matches without much razzmatazz, even though the sport continues to attract the largest number of female participants of any sport on the Rock.
Still without an allocated venue to call home, the sport features 31 teams across its four senior divisions, with Marble Arc once again topping the division rankings after round two.
Following the completion of the first round of matches, the Gibraltar Netball First Division split into two groups. In Group B of Division One, Xapo finished top of their group with 15 points, followed by Eagles on 12, Gib Oxy on 8 and Belles at the foot of the table on 6.
The top group also saw four teams competing for top spot with Bavaria, Fruitshoots, Eastgate and Marble Arc all in contention. After three matches, it was Marble Arc who finished top of Group A with 15 points. Eastgate finished second with 11, whilst Fruitshoots ended third on eight points. Bavaria finished fourth with four points.
Division Two also saw a split between top and bottom groups. In Group B, Piranha Designs finished first, just a point ahead of Masbro Panthers.
The Group A section of Division Two saw Vintage Rockstars, guided by Netball President Moira Gomez, finish top of the group with 15 points. Brightside were close second with 12, with Seawave and Manila following.
Division Three saw Laguna VR Solutions top their Group A table after playing four matches in a group consisting of five teams. Shooting Stars finished top of Group B in the same division.
Six teams made up Division Four, with Sugar Rush finishing top of the table with 25 points. Inshape Stars finished second.
Notably, a total of 31 teams competed across the four senior divisions, highlighting the extent of netball’s current membership base.
As mainly a female sport with female-only leagues, netball continues to be the largest women’s sport in Gibraltar. Its participation numbers now exceed both senior and junior football, as well as other core sports such as basketball, hockey and volleyball, where participation levels continue to struggle.
Netball, however, remains without a dedicated home venue this season, with most matches being played in school sports halls, limiting its capacity to attract local spectators to domestic league fixtures. While the association has remained relatively silent on this issue, delays in being allocated a permanent venue are understood to be a key concern. This comes as the sport continues to raise its standards, currently sitting twentieth in the world rankings and remaining among the favoured venues for future senior international competitions.
The sport this season was the focal point of an early boost to local sports with the hosting of the Netball World Youth Cup. The event not only attracting huge attention towards Gibraltar but also allowing for new sports floors to be laid. Ironically, the main floor laid being that of the Tercentenary Sports Hall which is considered the home of basketball. Facilities shared with netball, volleyball, futsal and badminton among others such as public events.