Netball Europe Open Championship: Isle of Man claim first international title
- Published
The Isle of Man were hosting their first international tournament
The Isle of Man women's netball team won the Netball Europe Open Championship - the first international tournament to be held on home soil.
A thrilling 57-45 victory over Ireland on Sunday, combined with Gibraltar's 54-33 win against the United Arab Emirates, saw the hosts claim gold.
Captain Ashley Hall said: "I cannot believe it. I'm just so proud of this remarkable team."
Victory means the island will obtain their first world ranking in June.
Hall added: "We believed we could do it and we wanted to repay the fans who came out to support us this week - I think we definitely did that."
Assistant manager Rhian Evans said the entire squad had been "phenomenal".
She continued: "To take our first gold in our first ever international netball tournament as hosts and to gain our first world weekend is amazing.
"I am so proud of this group of powerhouse women.
"Thank you to everyone who generously dedicated their time to help us achieve our dream and put the Isle of Man on the map with an unforgettable bang.
"This is a win for every Manx netballer and this is just the beginning."
Gibraltar finished the round-robin tournament in second place, followed by Ireland.