The seven-strong senior men’s team at the 16-nation event in Blackpool will include just one Jersey player, Ady Bougourd.
And chairman of the CI Pool Association Paul Bolton rapped: ‘The Jersey boys are apathetic.
It’s quite a bad situation – the Guernsey boys are always up for it but a lot of the Jersey players don’t want to know if their mates aren’t going.
It’s not good for the sport and is something that will be brought up at the annual general meeting.’ But the CI will still be fielding a strong side for the nine-day competition in the Lancashire seaside town – Guernsey have won the inter-insular for the past two years.
There will be no CI ladies team in Blackpool, the first time for many years that the islands haven’t been represented.
The reason is that two of the girls are pregnant and skipper for the past six years, Rhi Brookes, is on honeymoon.
Meanwhile the junior team will be missing skipper and Jersey star Dane Jennings, who led the side to the final of the European team event in France in February but is work-tied for the Blackpool tournament.
The five-strong squad includes Jersey’s Chris Hamon, who has two world competitions under his belt, and Andy Stentiford with three.
Added Bolton: ‘I believe the junior team is the strongest we’ve fielded for many years even without Dane.
I expect them to qualify in the top four.’
