Elite competition to provide opportunity

Netball gets a fresh lift on the Downs with new Meg Englart Cup

‘‘ WE WANT TO BUILD THAT BASE TO GET SOME COMPETITIVENESS BACK IN THE REGION.

BEC STOWER

NETBALL: A new competition aimed at increasing the elite level of play is set to launch in Toowoomba.

The Meg Englart Cup will commence its inaugural season in May, pitting representatives and aspirants alike in what will be the region’s highest level of competition.

Darling Downs Panthers coach Bec Stower said it was a necessity for the Downs to have an elite league, giving players the chance to compete at a higher level.

“We have done a bit of a needs analysis and we don’t have a strong women’s competition in the region,” she said.

The inaugural staging will have three divisions - opens, U19s and U15s.

Stower said this was important to try and create a natural pathway for talented juniors through to the opens.

“With the U15s component, we want to see it grow from the bottom up,” she said.

“We hope they will start there before continuing through to 19s and opens. We want to build that base to get some competitiveness back in the region.

“It’s really lacking that and good competition to prepare for Panthers, as well as teams going to Darling Downs schoolgirls, QPL and rep carnivals.”

Stower said the Meg Englart Cup had the potential to open up opportunities for players looking to take their game to the next level.

“This can put them in the eyes of selectors. With the more gameplay, the better they become, and the more exposure they get,” Stower said.

“We have capped the number of Panthers players (three) feeding back into teams, and for those that are on the bench or only get a quarter of play, they will get increased match time too.”

As for the naming of the competition, Stower said Englart was an obvious choice.

“Meg is a lady in our region who has been a workhorse for over 30 years,” she said.

“She comes from the Lockyer Valley, runs our interdistrict competition, as well as the Laura Geitz Cup among others, and loves to give girls opportunities.

“We wanted to name the competition after someone that epitomised what it was about, and she was the perfect namesake.”

For more information on how to get involved, contact darlingdownscompetitions@gmail.com.

Photo: Nev Madsen STEPPING UP: Jane Herrick will be a part of the Darling Downs Panthers contingent that are set to feature in the inaugural staging of the Meg Englart Cup, starting in Toowoomba in May.