Clubzone: The ball is definitely in the Rebels’ court

Club officer, Wendy Howell, chairperson and captain; Mary Kelly, vice-president and club secretary and Alesha Clarke, club member all set for a training session. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Head coach Wendy Howell was one of the founders and said the club has made rapid progress in five years.

“After playing in a few challenge matches over the summer in 2012, we were invited to join Division 1 of the national league. We are now a well-established team within the league and most definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Player Alesha Clarke explained the attraction of the game, which is played by more than 25 million people in more than 80 countries. “There’s really no sport equivalent to netball. Basketball is probably the closest, but in netball you can’t dribble or run with the ball, and each player has an assigned position that dictates where they’re allowed on court. This makes for a very fast-paced, aggressive and highly tactical game that’s really exciting to play and watch.

The Rebels are the only team playing in the national league games outside of Dublin. This means they frequently have to travel to Dublin but players describe match days as social and enjoyable, spending five hours travelling side by side for a match helps forms close and long-lasting friendships.

The netball season runs from October to April. Cork Rebels train on Thursday evenings and play matches in Cork and Dublin on scheduled Saturdays.