6th March 2025 Europe Netball u 17 championship at Antrim Forum Northern Ireland . Wales v England Mandatory Credit -Stephen Hamilton
The young Roses have completed a clean sweep to lift the U17 Europe Netball Division 1 trophy.
England’s U17 squad previously won the competition in 2024 in a tournament that saw the side go unbeaten throughout – and they repeated that feat, this time with a new-look squad.
Four players – Sascha Dale, Shannon Mahlik, Neve Wright and Gracie Smith – returned to successfully defend their crown while eight athletes earned their first U17 caps.
Sonia Mkoloma’s side laid down a marker of intent as they kickstarted their campaign with a dominant 19-92 win against the UAE.
They followed this up with another strong showing against Wales (89-18) before back-to-back victories over Northern Ireland (81-15 and 66-16).
The stage was then set for a highly anticipated title showdown with Scotland, but the young Roses kept their composure to run out 25-60 winners.
All the action from the competition is available to watch on-demand for free via Europe Netball’s YouTube channel.
The competition-winning squad:
| Name | Position | Club |
| Timi Adewale | Defence | London Mavericks |
| Deborah Adeyemi | Shooter | London Pulse |
| Jasmin Akrasi | Shooter | Pulse Power |
| Nevaeh Bowen | Midcourt | Manchester Thunder |
| Sascha Dale | Midcourt | London Mavericks |
| Ella Everett-Morris | Shooter | Birmingham Panthers |
| Iris Hutchinson | Midcourt | Birmingham Panthers |
| Christine Kadiri | Defence | London Pulse |
| Shannon Mahlik | Shooter | Manchester Thunder |
| Onyinyechi Nze | Defence | London Pulse |
| Gracie Smith | Midcourt | London Pulse |
| Neve Wright | Defence | London Mavericks |
| Halle Brown (reserve) | Midcourt | London Mavericks |
| Annie Cooke (reserve) | Defence | Manchester Thunder |
| Sophia Howard (reserve) | Shooter | Manchester Thunder |
Discussing the team’s performance, Mkoloma said: “I am delighted to share that our U17 netball team had an exceptional week in Belfast at the Europe Netball tournament. Over the course of five games, the team displayed outstanding skill, teamwork, and determination, ultimately securing a well-deserved victory and winning the tournament.
“This event was a fantastic opportunity for all players to gain exposure to international age-group netball, and we are incredibly proud of how they performed. Each player had the chance to showcase their abilities and contribute to the team’s success, gaining valuable experience that will undoubtedly shape their future in the sport.
“As a staffing team, we could not be prouder of the girls’ achievements and the growth they have shown throughout the week. Their dedication and hard work were evident in every match, and it has been an absolute privilege to be part of this journey with them.
“We look forward to building on this success and continuing to support these talented athletes in their development.”
Captain Mahlik added: “At the start of the week, we came up with four words to describe how we wanted to represent in the red dress which were ‘mighty’, ‘tenacious’, ‘gifted’ and ‘proud’. We showed all of these in each game and reached our goals and targets.
“We implemented our structures and looked at rotation throughout the court that blended in seamlessly. We built connections on and off court which shone through in our play.
“The aim at the start of the week was to be in the final and bring back gold and as a team we showed how much we wanted it and were able to lift the trophy.
“It was an honour to captain this amazing squad and have great support from the coaches and wider team. It’s an experience we all will never forget.”
Congratulations to all the athletes, coaches and support staff involved and thank you to everyone at Europe Netball and Netball Northern Ireland, as well as all the officials and volunteers, for a fantastic competition.
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