Played by more than 20 million people worldwide, netball is a non-contact ball sport between two teams of seven players, and it’s growing here in Portugal, with new teams emerging in Lisbon and Porto.
The tournament sponsored by Mermaid Sales and Rentals will see five clubs battling for victory in both running and walking netball trophies. The Silver Coast Sirens, Vilamoura Vipers, Tavira Leoas, and Albufeira Allstars will all be meeting with hopes of toppling last year’s champions, the Lagos Fireballs.
Susanne Spivey from Netball Portugal explains “Since our first all-Portugal tournament last year, we’ve had so much interest from ladies across the country that have enjoyed playing in the past and would like to get back into the sport…Our members tell us they love the support and connections that they make in a team with other like-minded women, which is so important when you’ve made the move to a different place”.
Susanne adds “We’d love to welcome any ladies that would like to come and watch some running and walking netball games this weekend. Many of our members have never played netball before arriving in Portugal, and you’d be surprised at the diversity of ages, fitness levels, and experience in our teams. It really can be a very inclusive sport”.
The action kicks off at 10 am on Saturday in Vilamoura for the running netball games and 10 am on Saturday and Sunday for the walking tournament in Albufeira. For more information about playing netball in Portugal check out www.netballportugal.com
Text by Beccy Haywood.