Millfield duo in new squad
Millfield netballers Isla Niddrie and Olivia Ralph have been selected into the newly formed Team Bath U18 squad.
Niddrie and Ralph are amongst the first set of young netball stars to take part in the talent development squad which bridges the gap between the U17 and U19 sides. Team Bath identified the need to form the U18 side due to the overwhelming amount of talent that will feed into the U19 and U21s in the future.
The U18 side will aim to create a match structure that challenges, develops and prepares them for Netball Performance League (NPL) competition at future levels.
Former Prep pupil Niddrie joined as a boarder in Year 7 to pursue her sporting endeavours in netball and athletics as well as benefitting from Millfield’s exceptional dyslexia programme. Multi-talented Niddrie plays in three positions, GA, GS and WA, and will be an asset to the new U18 team having been involved with Team Bath since Year 10.
She hopes to continue playing netball at a high level after Millfield and aspires to study journalism at university.
Upper Sixth Ralph joined Millfield in lower sixth as a keen athlete and academic. She has been involved with Team Bath since 2019, playing in the U17 NPL and now in the U18 side. Native Swiss Ralph has been a part of her country’s netball squad since the age of 12, making her first national cap at the age of 13 and playing for the U19s.
She remains as an active part of her native club, running sessions and coaching, but is now focussing on pursuing her Superleague goal in England.
Next year Ralph will be trialling for the Loughborough Lightning U19 NPL, hoping to continue through the pathway whilst maintaining her studies in neuroscience and psychology.
She said: “I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that Millfield and Mrs Adamson has given me as it has started my career and life in the best possible way. With this experience I intend on being the best possible athlete I can be whilst contributing to the wider society.”
Millfield Netball has strong links with several Superleague franchises, with athletes playing at U17, U19 and U21 National Performance League level. Millfield is also home to one of the Team Bath Academies, which provides weekly court and strength and conditioning sessions for athletes aspiring to progress within the franchise.
Director of netball Jenna Adamson has led the Millfield Netball programme since 2017 and works with over 11 different teams. She said: “I am incredibly proud of both student-athletes who work tirelessly within netball, continuously striving to be the best they can be both on and off the court. This is a fantastic opportunity for the girls which will help to develop and prepare them for the U19 NPL squad.”