A TEAM of the most talented young players from England will be competing in the Riffa Views Inter-Gulf Netball Championships, which take place at the Bahrain Rugby Football Club (BRFC) in Saar on March 13 and 14.

For the second consecutive year, England Premier League players from Hucclecote Netball Club in Gloucestershire will compete against the top Gulf teams in a fiercely contested battle for the Invitational Cup.

Hucclecote will attempt to retain their undefeated record from last year's competition against the top teams from Bahrain, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi.

"The inclusion of the England players for the second consecutive year raises the bar at the tournament," said Dubai Netball teams' spokesperson Dr Mercedes Sheen.

"We are not only competing against the Gulf teams, but we get to test our mettle against some of the best young players in England. We lost to them last year and we aim to change that this year. We are training hard and can't wait to meet them on the courts again."

The team members from Hucclecote play for England in the under-19 and under-21 categories and are accustomed to competitive play.

"This will be a fantastic experience for our girls," said Hucclecote coach and Sky News Sports commentator Sue Wainwright. "The toughest thing is that they will have to contend playing outdoors and in the heat, and the team mainly plays all matches indoors.

"I am confident that the squad will perform well despite coming up against very talented Gulf teams. We are taking nothing for granted; all our players know that they have to produce their best netball on the weekend."

For more information on the championships, call Bahrain Netball League event manager Michaela Milne on 36600308 or visit intergulfnetball.com.