Team Bath netballers and University students in England U21 World Youth Cup long squad
Team Bath Netball’s Paige Reed (left) and Jess Shaw (right) have both been confirmed in the England U21 long squad for the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup in Botswana.
The 20-strong squad includes all 12 of the successful Netball Europe team that recorded three wins from three in Cardiff over the weekend to lift the title in Team Bath Assistant Coach Emily Perry’s first tournament as Head Coach of the Roses.
University of Bath Sports Performance student Reed, who is supported by a Santander Sports Scholarship, was a late inclusion in the Netball Europe squad as illness cover.
She helped England record an impressive 101-26 win over Northern Ireland in their opening fixture and an 81-24 victory over Scotland before they wrapped up an encouraging weekend with an 88-18 success against Wales.
Former Team Bath netballer Summer Artman and Imogen Allison, an ex-Yorkshire Jets player who has started studying Sports & Exercise Science at the University of Bath this semester, also played their part in the Netball Europe success and are in the long squad.
Both represented the Blue and Gold in the recent U21 September Showdown, with Allison – who will play for the University in the BUCS League – among those pushing for a place in the Team Bath Superleague squad for 2017.
Jess Thirlby, Director of Netball at Team Bath, said: “We are very proud of Paige, Jess and Imogen’s achievement in being selected for England U21s, as well as Summer. They are continuing in a long line of Team Bath players who have represented their country.
“We acknowledge and respect the work that Yorkshire Jets have done in giving Jess and Imogen such a good grounding to build on, and we look forward to supporting and nurturing their talents further in the months and years ahead.”
England warmed up for the weekend’s competition with a two-day training camp at the University of Bath Sports Training Village. As well as training drills in the sports hall, under the watchful eye of Perry and Assistant Coach Denise Ellis, the players also used the Team Bath Gym for strength and conditioning work.
The Roses’ next match-play opportunities will be in November when they take to the court against selected opponents ahead of the senior series between England and Jamaica.
Both Reed and Shaw are among eight players to have been named so far in the Team Bath Netball squad for the 2017 Vitality Netball Superleague season, which gets under way in February.
