Iona’s Botswana bound for World Youth Cup
A CHESHIRE student from the University of Worcester has been selected to represent England in the Netball World Youth Cup.
Iona Darroch, a first year Illustration student, will head to Botswana for the tournament in July as part of the 12-strong Under 21 team.
“It’s a great honour to be able to represent my country,” said Iona, of Handforth.
“There’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s paid off. Two years ago I wouldn’t have thought I had a chance, so it’s amazing to be selected.
“It’s a great group of girls to go away with and I’ve got to know them really well over the last four years. I’m super excited.”
Iona, who plays for the Severn Stars, a new Superleague professional side owned by the University of Worcester and University of Gloucestershire, has been part of the England Roses Under 21 long squad, a group of around 20 girls who meet up for regular England training sessions and camps, from which a squad for competitions is picked, for the last two years.
Before that the former Wilmslow High School pupil was with the under 19s squad.
The 19-year-old, who has previously played for Wilmslow Lightning and Tameside as a teenager and still plays for Oldham Netball Club, took part in a preparation tour earlier this month.
The squad leaves for a holding camp in Pretoria, South Africa at the start of July before heading onto Botswana for the tournament, which starts on July 8.