The Isle of Man’s under-17s and under-23s netballers welcomed Royal Air Force Netball to the NSC on Saturday.

The games acted as preparation for the two under-17 squads ahead of their international commitments in early March.

Visiting the island for the first time, the RAF were using the weekend as a warm-up ahead of a forthcoming inter-forces tournament.

The opening fixture saw the island under-17s face a strong RAF first team, with the latter claiming a 65-25 win.

This was followed by the u17 development squad competing against the RAF’s second team, with the RAF edging a competitive contest 37-25.

The closest match of the day came as an island u23 squad took on the RAF first team.

The Manx side made a strong start, leading 11-7 after the first quarter, before a fast-paced and tightly contested game saw the RAF secure a 46-39 victory.

The final match featured the u17s against the RAF second team.

After a level first quarter at 10-10, both sides continued to apply strong defensive pressure and attacking play with the RAF eventually winning 44-33.

The fixtures provided ideal preparation for the Under-17 Rising Stars Cup, which will be hosted at the National Sports Centre from March 5-8.

Six teams - France, Gibraltar, Switzerland, the Republic of Ireland, and the Isle of Man’s two under-17 squads - will compete in a round-robin tournament.

IoM Netball extends its thanks to all those who supported the day, including photographer Gary Weightman of Vannin Photos, coaches, support staff, umpires, technical officials and volunteers.

Thanks also go to RAF Netball, with hopes that this fixture will become a permanent feature in the netball calendar.

The organisation was also pleased to welcome His Excellency Sir John Lorimer and Lady Lorimer, who attended the opening match of the weekend.