Kiara Wild – 2023/24 OUNC President:
“The 2022/23 season has been a successful one for Oxford University Netball Club.
This year has seen the expansion of the club to 66 members who make up four competitive teams and a development squad. A highlight of the year was the introduction of a 5th team match as part of our annual Varsity against Cambridge, making this year’s Varsity the biggest yet.
Our BUCS campaign has produced some high quality matches and has been thoroughly enjoyed by our 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams. Notably, the 3s finished second in Midlands Tier 4, narrowly missing out on promotion. Our 4th team has benefitted from consistent match play in a local Oxfordshire league. The development squad has provided a bridge between college netball and competitive netball, integrating college players who attended open sessions into the club. This has increased access to University level netball, forming a pathway from college netball, to competing in a local league to BUCS. This season has also seen the implementation of several initiatives.
There has been a welcome increase in student coaching, which has benefitted club development. Sponsorship from Mizuno has allowed us to purchase dresses for the club that will be reworn year on year, increasing kit sustainability as well as reducing the financial burden for members.
The increase in financial support for members, and our involvement in the Vincent’s Club mentorship scheme have improved our accessibility. We hope this success will continue into the 2023/24 season.”