And, judging by the smiles on the players’ faces, and the laughter that can be heard emanating from the courts during the games, the players thoroughly enjoy themselves.
The league was set up to accommodate new and returning players who did not necessarily want to play competitive netball, but who were keen to take part in a fun, friendly sport.
The players are mainly mothers of children involved in netball, or ex-players, and a number of the teams are made up of employees from firms in the Island, among them Mourant, Abacus and RBSI, while other teams are groups of friends.
All the games are held on a Thursday evening at Les Quennevais and the umpires are volunteers from some of the major clubs, with the friendly league offering inexperienced umpires an ideal opportunity to practise their skills.
Matches are played over 50 minutes – divided into five ten-minute sessions – and are an ideal stepping stone for ex-players who have, perhaps, lost their confidence after a while away from the game, and want to see how they get on in a non-competitive environment.
Some of those whose confidence and skills have benefitted from the Friendly League are already hoping to move up into the Jersey Netball Association competitive leagues.
‘It has been incredibly successful’ said Jackie Nelson, one of the organisers.
