Male participation growing at Army mixed Inter Corps netball

A mixed Army Inter Corps netball tournament has highlighted the rise in participation by men, as the British Army encourages more male soldiers to take up the sport. 

Long regarded as a sport for women, there are now 20 clubs with established men's and mixed teams in England, with up to 20,000 men now actively participating in the sport. 

Playing in a mixed format, the initiative has seen an exciting dynamic where male and female players from the Army can play together.

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Lieutenant Colonel Laura Ellis, Director of Army Netball, has long pushed for a mixed netball tournament within the Army where male participation has been beneficial for established female players. 

She said: "I think they bring a different dynamic to when we train and when we play and they just make us better as ladies and, for the mix, it just changes everything, the dynamic with the men mixed together is really good.

"The elevation to get up in the air is really great and you have to play a different game against them. You can't play traditional ladies' netball against them."

Army women's team player Captain Anna Mulderrig shares the enthusiasm for male involvement in netball, saying she enjoys the on-court challenge. 

She said: "It's great fun, we have to adapt to how we play to fit around them. 

"A lot of them come from different sports like basketball and rugby, so they've got the right idea, it is just refining the skills. 

"The fact that you need to drive into the ball in basketball, you need to receive it when you are static which catches them out a bit with the footwork, and the ball placement, but once they get it, they are really good."

Mixed and men's player, Sergeant Dan Woodvine, already has a number of seasons under his belt.

He admits that despite being an Army regular, there are still hang-ups surrounding male participation. 

He says: There is still a little bit of stigma. I don't really like admitting when I am with the guys that I play netball, I get a little bit of stick."

But when men do go and play netball, Sgt Woodvine admits they "love it and they come back".

He said: "There's lots of guys down here today and they just keep coming back. They enjoy it."

The team is due to compete in the US and Canada, where they are set to face a series of challenging overseas fixtures. 

Sgt Woodvine said: "There's, like, 24 teams and I am really looking forward to it."