RLC Netball shoots to win with Briggs Defence sponsorship

The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) Netball Association has set its sights on victory in the 2019 Army Inter-Corps Netball Championships thanks to sponsorship support from Briggs Defence.

Under the terms of the three-year agreement the defence division of asset management and engineering services specialist Briggs Equipment will provide funding for playing and training kit and equipment. The sponsorship will also cover competition entry fees and support two tours, the most recent of which coincided with the Netball World Cup.

Founded in 1994, the Royal Logistic Corps Netball Association attracts women of all abilities, from local league players to international competitors. One of the Association’s players competed in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games whilst the membership also includes two combined services players and five each at Army and Army Masters level. The Army team is flying high after winning the 2018 Armed Forces Netball Championships.

Gary Clements of Briggs Defence said: “As a respected Ministry of Defence partner we work closely with the UK’s military communities and one of the best ways we can demonstrate our support is by investing in sports development initiatives.

“Having sponsored the RLC’s rugby union programme since 1998, our aim with this new deal is to help the RLC Netball Association to return to its championship-winning ways whilst also strengthening still further our mutually beneficial relationship with the Corps.”

After a number of highly competitive years, the RLC Netball Association is going through a transition period and has been rebuilding its teams. This year, its main objective is to lift the Army Inter-Corps Netball Championship title in Aldershot in October.

Major Toni Gray, captain of the RLC Netball Association, said: “Given the huge focus on the World Cup, this is a time of unprecedented interest in netball, and thanks to the Army’s sponsorship of the England team, the sport’s profile within the Armed Services has never been higher.

“With two tours underpinned by the fantastic sponsorship provided by our new partner, Briggs Defence, I believe there will never be a better time for RLC netball to thrive. Our goal for this year is to win the Army Inter-Corps Netball Championships, which is absolutely achievable if everyone buys into the vision and goes the extra mile both on and off the court.”

Three RLC Netball Association teams participate in Inter-Corps league fixtures at military establishments and play matches and competitions against local teams from Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. Twenty-one RLC netball players recently returned from a tour in Liverpool, to tie in with the Netball World Cup, where they conducted engagement activity alongside England Roses players with youth netball teams and local schools. In September the RLC Netball Association will embark on a tour to Jamaica, playing fixtures against the Jamaican Defence Force and various local league sides.