YORK student Gemma Gibson has netted the trip of a lifetime to Australia after being selected for the England Under-21s netball team's tour Down Under.

Gemma Gibson

Gibson, who is not 18 until next month, made it into the final 16 after several months of trial matches and training sessions with the squad.

The three-week tour will give Gibson, a goalkeeper or goal defence for Haxby Ladies and North Yorkshire, a perfect opportunity to secure her place in the England 2000 squad which takes part in the World Youth Championships in Wales next summer.

However it will not mean automatic inclusion. She must take part in further trials in October when a squad of 16 will be chosen, with the final 12 being named next April.

The York Sixth Form College student was delighted to receive the letter confirming her place in the squad which was whittled down from the 24 chosen last October.

"I was a bit panicky, then when I opened it I screamed and nearly deafened my friend. I rang everybody I knew from the squad and we were screaming at each other," said Haxby-based Gibson.

She starred for England Under-17s in their tour of New Zealand last year but is anticipating an even bigger challenge in what will be her first visit to netball crazy Australia.

"It will be more intense than the Under-17s because of the World Championships next year and there will be more internationals over there for us to play against," said Gibson, who began her A-levels this week.

The squad fly out to Australia on July 8 though Gibson has not yet received any details about their opposition or where they will be based.

Osbaldwick 'B' won the first York and District Netball League summer tournament at Burnholme School. The Patrick Brisbane Memorial trophy tournament was hosted by the Civil Service netball club and is held in memory of the brother of one of their players Hilary (Briz) Mennel.

Nine teams entered the tournament. Osbaldwick club sent a large contingent of players in the form of their three teams, all of which will be competing in York and District first division next season.

There was fierce rivalry between the teams. Osbaldwick's 'A' and 'B' teams drew a very low scoring game of 2-2. The 'B' team then beat the 'C' team 4-1 while the 'C' team went on to draw with their 'A' team clubmates 5-5. Other matches were won and lost but at the end of the day Osbaldwick second team were victors and became trophy holders for a year.

Winning team members were Claire Ward, Lisa Hill, Dawn Taylor, Emmer Humbles, Sue Bryce, Paula Tilsley and Vicky Himsworth.

Tournament placings: 1 Osbaldwick 'B', 2 Osbaldwick 'A', 3 Osbaldwick 'C', 4 Yorvik 'A', 5 Millers and Dringhouses, 7 British Telecom, 8 Haxby, 9 Elvington, (the only fourth division team to enter).

The next tournament will be held on Sunday, June 13, for division two, three and four clubs only, excluding division winners.

This will be followed on Sunday, June 27, by the York Intensive Care Fundraising tournament which is open to all.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.