England U15 and U17s compete in Belgium

England Korfball’s U15 and U17 squads have been in action this weekend with a series of matches against regional sides from Belgium and Holland.

Rob Bloomer, England U15 Head Coach was ‘impressed’ with how the players dealt with the intensive playing schedule.

“I’ve been very impressed with the squad, who have really stepped up to the challenge of playing high level regional teams from Belgium and the Netherlands.

“We’ve developed well in terms of both competitiveness on court and game management, which helped the team achieve both a draw against Brabant (Belgium) and a win against Netherlands South.

“I’m very excited to get back into training with these guys! Thanks to all the players and their parents from all the coaching team.”

U15 squad captain Flora Timney from Cambridge City said that the squad had ‘gained experienced and bonded’: “It’s been a fantastic experience , the venue was great and the opponents were strong but respectful. It was awesome to get a draw and a win on the second day after a tough day 1.

Joe Stirling, England U17 Head Coach was ‘delighted’ with the attitude shown by the squad.

“Flanders 2017 was an extremely productive weekend for myself and the squad. I was delighted with the attitudes shown by all; from following instructions, supporting each other and giving each other 100% effort.”

“The results improved as the competition progressed and we found our rhythm. We followed a tough draw with Netherlands-South by coming from two down in the final moments to win 7-6 against Brabant (Belgium)”

“The majority of the games were settled only by a difference of one or two goals which highlights how competitive the games were. This intensity and the way we overcame the challenges will provide great experience for the young squad moving forward.”

“Finally I would like to thank all the parents and supporters for the fantastic encouragement and positivity throughout”

England U17 captain, Kirsty Aldridge said “Everyone improved throughout the weekend and I feel much more comfortable competing at this level.

Speaking to England Korfball on the return coach journey back home Annie Boyd said: “We are a promising team with a lot to give and we all want to improve. The character in the group is so strong and we showed this by making every game competitive and had two really big comebacks to win.”

Finally Declan White from Tornadoes Korfball Club said: “[The] weekend went well, a lot of us were stepping up from the U15s to the U17s which was a big change physically for us but we showed how much we have improved”