Netball girls net two trophies

Ipswich School's talented under-13 netball side picked up two trophies within three days recently.

Competing in the South Suffolk Netball Tournament at Copleston High School, Ipswich won the round robin format to claim their first of two quick fire trophies.

After beating the host school 7-3 in their first game, Ipswich went on to beat Holywells High School 9-0, Northgate High School 9-3 and Kesgrave High School 6-3.

With the weather becoming stormy the sixth round matches began but, with only two minutes played and Ipswich already 2-0 up against Woodbridge School, the match had to be abandoned due to dangerous court conditions.

At that point, Ipswich were the only team to have played and won all their matches, every other team having lost at least one, and they were therefore declared South Suffolk champions.

Two days later, Ipswich then hosted the annual Under-13 Netball Invitation Tournament, with teams from St Joseph's College, Holmwood House and St Felix School joining Ipswich's U13 and U12 sides.

Once again, the weather looked ominous but, after serious consideration of postponement, the courts were swept and the tournament started on time.

In the closest festival of netball the school has ever seen, all games were evenly contested.

The most exciting game came in the penultimate round where eventual winners Ipswich U13 beat close rivals Holmwood House 10-7.

All Ipswich U13's good work could have been undone in their final game when they faced their Under-12 counterparts, however, despite a sterling fight in the first half from the youngsters, the elder U13 side went on to win and take the title.

With Ipswich U13s finishing on 20 points, Holmwood House were runners-up with 16 points. Meanwhile, St Felix just pipped Ipswich School's U12s to third place by one point.