SAINT Joseph’s Regional College won’t have to wait long for a crack at Westfield Sports High.
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Regional’s year 9/10 girls team will take on the Sydney school in the first round of the TAFE NSW Schools Cup State Championships in Sydney on Wednesday.
Half of Regional’s team will be back again for the championships at the Genea Netball Centre at Sydney Olympic Park.
Coached by Donna Hamlin, they expect to perform well at the tournament with a strong team that isn’t reliant on one or two players.
Team manager Janine Handley said Hamlin had done an “amazing job as coach.”
“I expect they will go well; they’re a great team,” she said.
“They’re a champion team, but they do have a few players who are very good.”
The Cup is a Netball NSW initiative that gives female and male primary and secondary school students in years five to 10 from public, independent and Catholic systems in the state the opportunity to enjoy netball in an inclusive and enjoyable environment.
If they make the final, they could play up to six matches on the day.
“They’re aiming to go one better than they did last year,” Handley said.
MacKillop College will also send two boys’ teams and a girls team to join St Joseph’s Regional College down in Sydney.
Sports coordinator Erin Denham believes their 9/10 boys team could “put on a show”.
“They’re a really talented side,” she said.
“We’ll call in to Newcastle on the way through to pick up a couple of them who are down there for state rugby.”
A top four result for each of the three teams wasn’t a goal that was out of reach.
“It’s hard to tell how well they’ll all go, but we’ve had five or six sports that have made it to the state finals,” Denham said.
“It will be interesting to see.”
MacKillop will have two boys teams competing at the state championships for the first time.
“It’s about creating equity across all the sports because the girls can play league and union,” Denham said.
“The boys have been pestering us for a few years about putting a netball team in.”
The MacKillop sports coordinator said all three teams had been training since October last year.
“A top four goal is achievable for all of them; the girls have made that in the past,” she said.