Netball season launches with new structure

A new competition format will be introduced when this year’s netball league season gets underway on Wednesday at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill court.

Netball Association President Nisha Craigwell told Barbados TODAY that the traditional seven-division structure has been reduced, with this year’s condensed season set to feature just five divisions.

“We are going to be commencing with five divisions, with the Diamonds being the top division, as we condense Division 1 and 2,” she explained. “Then we have Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and Opal being the Under 14 division.”

Craigwell explained that a number of factors led to the new format for this year’s season being conceptualised. “We traditionally start the netball season on March 15, which is our anniversary date, but we’re now starting on June 17 and time is of the essence for us this year, primarily because we are hosting the Netball World Cup qualifier in October. We really need to get the season ended, prior to the commencement of that tournament.”

With the netball stadium at Waterford still being renovated, Craigwell says most of the games this season are likely to be played outdoors, with the new floor at the Wildey Gymnasium being reserved primarily for Diamond division encounters.

Brittons Hill United won the title in 2025.

“The expectation also is that the Waterford facility will be completed prior to the season ending, so we should be able to transition to the new facility at that point.

“The facility at the gymnasium with the glass floor will be primarily reserved for our Premier division, for the Diamonds division. So even if we do get some time on that floor, we would make sure that our seniors benefit from it, as they really need to have the preparation ahead of the World Cup qualifier,” she added

With Barbados set to match skills against the best teams in the region during that event, Craigwell says the preparations have so far gone smoothly.

“Our players have been in training all year round. We started out with just physical training, but we’ve transitioned into the gymnasium where we predominantly have our sessions now. The girls are looking good and are getting fully fit and we expect a very good showing from our team.”

 

(KH)