Many first for netball’s interschool as boys competition added to schedule

The Gibraltar netball annual interschool competition was to see some firsts this year, with the introduction of boys’ teams into the tournament, played separately.
It was also a showcase of netball’s focus on its grassroots at every level of the game, with the umpiring team comprising girls aged 13–16, guided by international umpire Nadine Pardo Zammit.
Not surprisingly, with netball ensuring that all its bases are progressing along a future pathway, scorers and bench officials were also young girls, supported by senior officials who oversaw their work and ensured a seamless competition.
As in previous years, the netball interschool attracted much attention, with the halls quickly filling up as spectators gathered to watch the young talent on court. Each school had its own group of supporters, screaming and cheering from the stands. However, it was the legacy the sport has been building—broadening its scope and taking the initiative in promoting every level of the game among its grassroots—that was most notable. This commitment already ensures continuity at senior levels, with youngsters progressing into the ranks as bench officials, scorers and umpires.
Netball’s policy of encouraging players and officials who have learnt their skills to pass them on to the next generation has afforded the sport a grassroots development programme yet to be matched by other sports. Many now look to netball as an example of how to deliver effective grassroots coaching across their disciplines.
The tournament itself maintained the traditionally high standard of junior netball, with many players already enjoying the sport in their own time.
Loreto Convent, entering two teams, began with their first match against each other, while St Anne’s faced the Hebrew School in the other opening fixture. These two matches set the tone for the competition.
The use of both the Tercentenary Sports Hall and the MUGA posed something of a challenge for spectators as teams rotated between venues. Parents followed the action from one court to another, creating a constant flow of people between matches.
The second round of matches saw the boys take to the court for the first time in an interschool netball competition—a moment welcomed by many.
The Tercentenary Sports Hall was filled to capacity as matches got underway in an electrifying atmosphere. Over four hours of netball left both children and adults thoroughly entertained.
It was a well-orchestrated event, benefitting from the many lessons learned while hosting the Youth World Cup. Transitions between matches were seamless, with volunteers changing signage by the courts to inform spectators who was playing next, while scores, umpiring and other logistical tasks were carried out effortlessly in the background—most of it by youth volunteers.
The interschool competition also became the setting for a special recognition moment, as Moira Gomez, President of the Gibraltar Netball Association, received the Ladies That Rock the Rock Award.
The surprise presentation had been discreetly planned by a small number within the netball executive, who arranged for a pause in play. A very surprised Moira Gomez was escorted to the centre of Court 1, initially believing she needed to tell those walking onto the court that they could not be there, only to discover that she was the intended recipient of the award.
Nominated by the public, she is understood to have received an overwhelming number of votes, with numerous letters of praise and thanks recognising her work not only for netball but for the community as a whole.
For the first time on the netball court—many recalled—Moira had her family around her as she received the award. It was a fitting tribute to the work she has done behind the scenes, helping netball grow from being viewed as “just a women’s sport” into Gibraltar’s second-largest sport by membership, behind only football, and the first team sport to host a Youth World Cup on the Rock. An achievement widely praised across sport and the community, it further elevated Gibraltar’s name within the global sporting sphere as a place punching well above its weight.
The interschool tournament was to see Loreto Convent’s A team winning the girls’ competition, with St Anne’s claiming the first interschool boys’ netball title.
The introduction of the boys’ competition is viewed as the potential start of an era in which the men’s game can be developed towards a senior league in the future.
The tournament also saw the Gibraltar Netball Association donate two bags full of balls to each competing school. This part of the legacy from the Netball World Youth Cup with the official Gilbert balls donated to schools.

Teams playing were

Loreto (two girls teams)

St Anne’s

St Bernard’s

St Joseph

Bishop Fitzgerald

Hebrew School

Winners

Girls Competition
Loreto Convent

Boys Competition

St Annes School

See Monday's print edition for more images from the Netball Insterschool tournaments