Report by Laura Moore
Derby University hosted the first round of Diamond games on the 16th May with a big turnout from ladies up and down the country. The game still continues to attract players completely new to the sport which is testament to the hard work and dedication of all those currently involved in the game.
The day was made up of developmental aspects and training followed by a full 11 v 11 game. The blue team shone brightest on this occasion taking the spoils with some hard running, a fantastic special team’s display and a defense known to hit hard. I am sure the red team will look to revenge the defeat in the next meeting of the two teams on the 30th May in Leeds.
Speaking to Jim Messenger – Great Britain Women’s Team Head Coach about Diamond and where as a team we are heading in the build up to the Summer European Championships in Spain he had the following comments:
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| Photo courtesy of Luke Plastow at Plastow Photography |
"The Diamond Series continues to be a valuable part of women's football development in Britain. It's a great opportunity to bring everyone together and give all the players and coaches an opportunity to experience women's 11-a-side football. As we continue to expand the game we will offer larger formats than the current 5 v 5 offer of the Sapphire Series. It's important for us to manage this process so that we always have plenty of competitive opportunities and not end-up with some teams racing ahead to play at 11 v 11 and leaving everyone else behind."
"The Women's European Championships possibly comes a year too early for us to be real contenders, but the learning experience will be fantastic and we are really excited to be taking part. It should be an amazing experience and really boost the profile of the women's game.
"With the launch of the GB Women's Flag Football programme this year, we now start a performance element to add to the fast growing women's flag game as well. This is another milestone for the development of football for females and we are excited about what more the future will bring."
The Diamond Series is open to all and if you want to get involved there are still two more events to attend. 30th May in Leeds, and the 13th June in Hatfield. For more information please look on the BAFA Womens page on Facebook.
