THE Riffa Views Inter-Gulf Netball Championships is set to feature a top team from England, it was announced yesterday. A young squad from the Hucclecote Netball Club in Gloucestershire recently confirmed its participation in the tournament's 'Invitational Cup', which will be the top draw of the event to be held at the Bahrain Rugby Football Club in Saar on March 7 and 8. The Hucclecote players currently feature in England's under-21, under-19 and under-17 national long squads.

The team is comprised of Liz Ashmead, Charlotte Johnson, Claire Richards, Gemma Hallbrook, Kirsty Trueman, Carly Taylor, Liz Banyard and Gilly Salter.

They will be going against eight of the top-ranked Gulf teams in their division, including Bahrain 'A', Qatar 'A', Oman, Dubai Vets, Abu Dhabi 'A', and Dubai 'A', 'B', 'C' squads.

"This is the first time in the 22-year history of the competition that a team from England will be participating," Bahrain Netball League event manager Michaela Milne told the GDN. "It's a great boost for the tournament and will certainly raise the standard of games for spectators and players alike."

Hucclecote team captain Claire Richards commented: "We are thrilled to travel to Bahrain. None of us have been to the Middle East before, so it will be a great opportunity to see a new country and play against the best teams in the Gulf. We can't wait to get there."

For more information on the Inter-Gulf competition, call Milne on 36600308 or e-mail kylamilne@mac.com.