Jumeirah English Speaking School’s (JESS) fine start to 2017 on the netball front continued at the weekend as Miss McAffie’s U16 girls team rallied late on to win the Dubai College International Netball Tournament.
There was an impressive line up on show with Dubai powerhouses JESS and Dubai College being joined by teams from the Abu Dhabi Netball League and two touring schools from England in RGS Newcastle and Ribston Hall, providing the local girls with a fresh test and reaffirming the event a truly international spectacle.
Sophie, of Dubai College commented, “I particularly enjoyed playing against the touring teams, they played at a high tempo and really tested us. I hope both RGS and Ribston Hall have enjoyed their tour experiences in Dubai, it has been a pleasure hosting them.”
The round robin style saw all 9 teams playing against each another once, in 10-minute matches. The light rain early on meant challenging handling conditions on court, whilst the high winds made things especially tough for the Goal Attacks and Shooters.
Sara Donovan, Head of Netball at Dubai College and Tournament organiser, heaped praise on all teams for giving their best efforts in less than favourable conditions, “I’m delighted, firstly, that the Tournament is on today as we feared the worst after the downpour.
"Thankfully that’s been forgotten about now and there’s some really competitive matches taking place behind me. Thanks especially to our touring teams and Abu Dhabi Netball League for being here, it’s a great experience for our girls to play against international teams.”
After all 9 matches were played out Dubai College A finished in third position, behind Jumeirah College in second, and champions JESS in first. It follows the exceptional display by JESS U11 at the recent Nord Anglia Cup, where they produced a stunning performance in the final to overcome DESC 10-0.
JESS team captain, Millie, heaped praise on her team mates for fighting right to the end, “It’s hard to stay focused in a round robin as there’s no semi or final, so I kept reminding the girls that the first match is just as important as the last. Thankfully we managed to maintain our level of performance and finish strongly, I’m so chuffed!”
Leandra, of the Abu Dhabi Netball League, took home Player of the Tournament following a run of impressive displays as Goal Attack.
Tournament Teams:
Abu Dhabi Netball League
Dubai College A
Dubai College B
JESS A
JESS B
RGS Newcastle A
RGS Newcastle B
Ribtson Hall A
Ribston Hall B
Roll of Honour:
1st – JESS
2nd Jumeirah College
3rd Dubai College A
Player of the Tournament:
Leandra (Abu Dhabi Netball League)