A contingent of nearly 40 of the region’s most talented young netballers will join a small army of about 3000 converging on western Sydney this weekend.

Four Hastings Valley Netball teams, U12s, U13s, U14s and U15s, are travelling down the highway for the 2009 State Age Championships which “promises to be a huge event”.

President Kerry Austin will be travelling with the girls who left Port Macquarie this morning.

“It will be lovely to be a part of the state championships once again and witness our beautiful girls represent our association,” Austin said.

The championships are hosted in Liverpool and Blacktown to cater for the size of the event with games played tomorrow, Sunday and Monday.

The 13s and 15s are tackling division 1 hosted in Liverpool and the U12s and U14s battle it out in division 2 in Blacktown.

All four teams will play 25, reduced time 22-minute, games during the three days.

There have been plenty of setbacks due to injury, illness and bad weather but the girls are jumping out of their skin to hit the courts in Sydney.

In all with coaches, managers and support crew nearly 60 from the Hastings will make the venture south.

The Oncology Children’s Foundation is the charity partner of the event.