As a new season progresses, the World Schools Games team took some time to reflect on their last season, highlighting what the experience meant to them personally when RGC Netball made its debut at the World School Games, held at Loughborough University, the home of English Netball, and finished as the highest-ranked Scottish school in the competition

Netball Captain Zara (S6) shared: “The World School Games was an unreal experience for all the girls in our team. At the start of the tournament, we had a friendly against the Loughborough College U18 Elite Netball Academy, where we came up against some talented players that challenged us before the competition. We also had a Loughborough Lightning masterclass with GK Alice Harvey, which the whole team loved and learnt a lot from.

“The team definitely enjoyed playing against loads of different schools from around the world as they all had different styles of play. The team improved as the matches progressed. We came up against some extremely strong opposition and after winning two matches and losing two matches on Day 1, we ended up in the Plate Competition. A bye into the quarter final and a strong performance in the semi finals to beat Scottish rivals Strathallan, set up a final vs Portsmouth High. Despite giving it our all, we sadly came up short, losing the final 18-19. The team improved so much over the weekend and overall, were delighted with how we got on.”

Miss Duddy, Teacher of Physical Education, added: “A first time outing for RGC Netball at this competition and I honestly could not be prouder of the way the girls have committed themselves and represented not only our school, but the North East as well. 

“A new team facing strong and unknown opposition is never an easy feat, but the girls got going from the beginning and attacked every game with ferocious energy and a fierce hunger to win. The opportunity to come up against strong English and South African opposition as well as being able to watch teams from Dubai and Jamaica were really valuable learning experiences for our girls and they have all come back as stronger netballers ready to apply new learnings to the 25/26 season. Finishing up as the highest ranked Scottish school on our debut outing is something for us to be immensely proud of and we look forward to having the opportunity to return to this stage in the future.”

Competing in the U17 category gave the team an incredible opportunity to play on an international stage. The competition took place over two days, with a preparation day beforehand on the university campus, allowing everyone to settle in and prepare for the matches ahead. The experience not only strengthened the team’s skills and confidence but also inspired them to carry their learnings into the new season, building on a strong foundation for future success.