Where can I take my netball teams on tour?
While netball is played widely across the UK & Ireland but you won’t find another European team in the top 30 of the world rankings, so where can a touring team look to travel for reliable fixtures and an enjoyable tour? Here are our top picks:
On A Budget
If you’re looking to keep costs down then it’s difficult to beat staying close to home, there are plenty of options around the UK such as Loughborough, London, Bath or Cardiff, each of which have teams in the Vitality Super League and also offer the opportunity for professionally-led coaching sessions for your team.
Fancy trying somewhere new? Why not hop over the Irish sea and sample Dublin for fantastic netball fixtures with trips out to Limerick or Galway, where you can sample a rich culture and enjoy stunning views in between matches against well-matched local opposition.
Short-Haul
There are still some fantastic options for netballers looking to head a little further afield and enjoy some time in the sun whilst in tour:
Gibraltar has been a British outpost since the early 1700’s, so you’ll fine a selection of British schools on the headland who love hosting touring teams. Here groups can stay in Gibraltar itself for the duration, or head off up the Andalusian coast to visit Marbella or Malaga.
Malta offers groups year-round sun for travelling netballers, combining an ancient history, crystal clear waters, and a number of local schools who regularly host British netballers through the year.
Further Afield
If you’re looking for something further afield you’ll be please to know that there are some incredible, once in a lifetime destinations that offer both lots of local teams ready to host you, and a variety of exciting and interesting excursions to make your next tour one to remember:
South Africa are a mainstay of the world ranking’s top-10 and touring teams can expect to face well matched opposition drawn from a huge pool of local teams & schools but there’s so much more to South African than the netball. Here groups can choose from a wide variety of excursions & experiences including a trip up Table Mountain, which overlooks Cape Town, a visit to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held prisoner for 18 years, and take a tour of the Cape Peninsula including Boulder Beach and a stop off to see the Cape Penguins.
If you’d like to add some outreach work to your tour, we can arrange a visit to a local township where your group can help out with a project to help the local community.
Barbados also makes for an excellent destination for school netball tours, why not immerse yourself in the Caribbean lifestyle? Slow things down a touch, and enjoy some time on golden sand and in that famously picturesque Caribbean Sea!
With a number of local teams and schools ready to host you, groups can also enjoy a catamaran cruise with a chance to spot the sea turtles, or maybe an evening at the Harbour Lights dinner show, complete with Bajun barbeque and live entertainment.
So, where next? Get in touch on 0333 3034 704 or email us at info@energy-travel.com to build your perfect tour.