Team Isle of Man take victory at first inter-island netball games

The contest saw six netball teams compete on the Isle of Man

Team Isle of Man has topped the table to become winners of an inaugural inter-island netball tournament.

Squads from six islands faced off at the Island Invitational Netball Games at the National Sports Centre in Douglas.

The hosts beat second-placed Jersey 48-32 in the final match of the contest, created to make up for the sport not featuring in the Island Games.

Head coach Claire Battye said she was "incredibly proud" of the team.

The Isle of Man beat every other team in the five-day competition

Five squads travelled from Jersey, Guernsey, Ynys Mon, Shetland and Orkney for the tournament, with some representing their home island for the first time in the sport.

Ms Battye said coming away with "positive wins and positive play was tremendous", especially as most players were also working full time and juggling family responsibilities.

Support from the Manx community watching in the stands "really lifted the players", and support off-island was "clear" as some games clocked up more than 1,000 views via the online steam, she said.

The final match between the Isle of Man and Jersey was played in front of a sell-out crowd

Although the intention behind the contest was for the sport to become part of the Island Games, organisers now thought a separate contest could be "the way forward for netball", Ms Battye said.

The next steps would be to look at putting processes in place to grow the event while maintaining its "integrity", she said.

The final match of the tournament saw Jersey and the Isle of Man compete to win overall

Organisers now aimed to host the tournament at a different location every two years and include a greater number of nations who feature in the Island Games.

Former England captain and Jersey coach Serena Kersten previously said she had already approached the Government of Jersey about hosting the next tournament, scheduled to take place in 2025.

Ms Battye said: "If we can push each other, in development and in the sport itself, the sky's the limit for netball."

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