It’s been a long time between games, but competition netball finally returned to Wee Waa last Wednesday when the 2021 senior ladies’ season began at the indoor sporting complex.
Wee Waa Netball’s annual competition did not go ahead last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, however, it has returned in 2021 and is as popular as ever.
More than 85 players from Wee Waa, Rowena, Burren Junction, Pilliga and Narrabri have registered to play this season. They are spread across eight teams which all took to the courts to contest their first-round matches on Wednesday.
The teams competing in the 2021 season are Misfits, Outnumbered, Deadly Divas, Narrabri Opens, Narrabri 17s, Mummas and Co, Goal Diggers and Untouchables.
Outnumbered, the two Narrabri teams and Goal Diggers all scored round one victories. Outnumbered downed Misfits 15-9, Narrabri Opens beat Deadly Divas 32-29, Narrabri 17s defeated Mummas and Co 17-9 and Goal Diggers outscored Untouchables 46-5.
All teams will play their seven opponents twice across a 14-round regular season before the finals series is contested.
All eight teams will qualify for finals, with the top four competing for the A-grade championship and the bottom four breaking off to play for B-grade glory.
Wee Waa Netball’s Kerry Crutcher told The Courier that there was a great buzz around the competition this season and added that everyone was pleased that netball was finally back on-court.
“It’s really great that netball’s back,” Crutcher said.
“The last time netball was played here was when we finished up the mixed competition in 2019.
“We’ve got eight teams for this year’s ladies’ comp which is more than we’ve had in a very long time.
“We’ve got lots of juniors here too, we are trying to cater for teenagers in Wee Waa and Narrabri to keep them doing something as well.
“We’ve got a couple of rep teams from Narrabri too which is good. They’ve come out to get some extra game time in before they go off to do their rep seasons because they didn’t have a season last year either.
“One or two of our teams are still looking for another one or two players so if anyone is interested, message the Wee Waa Netball Facebook page.”
Crutcher said that it was pleasing to see the new and improved Wee Waa Sporting Complex finally being used again.
“It’s excellent,” she said.
“Just prior to COVID we had the floors re-finished, we had walls re-painted and all the toilets were re-done and we’ve just put on aluminium seating. It all looks great.”
Matches scheduled for round two tomorrow night are as follows:
5.30pm: Deadly Divas v Untouchables (duties – Misfits).
6.30pm: Misfits v Narrabri 17s (duties – Goal Diggers).
7.30pm: Outnumbered v Goal Diggers (duties – Narrabri 17s).
8.30pm: Mummas and Co v Narrabri Opens (duties – Outnumbered).
