UAE Falcons secure Europe Netball Open Challenge title after win over Republic of Ireland

UAE Falcons secured the Europe Netball Open Challenge title for the second time in three years, defeating the Republic of Ireland in the final on Monday.

The Falcons, who secured silver at the 2022 tournament in Gibraltar, emerged as champions in the competition held at the Cardiff City House of Sport, home to the Celtic Dragons Netball SuperLeague team.

The Falcons took the lead in the first quarter and maintained that advantage throughout to emerge winners over the defending champions 63-54.

“It was amazing to watch the players grow as a squad and put out on court all they had learnt; ball by ball, quarter by quarter, game by game,” Falcons head coach Deb Jones said after the team’s return to Dubai on Tuesday.

“The individual talent within the squad is evident, the magic is in putting it all together against some tough opposition and under the highest pressure using all twelve players throughout the event.

“With sheer determination and tenacity and with their eye on the prize, the Falcons stuck to task and closed out the win. They achieved this by playing calm, composed netball with a mixture of flair and creativity thrown in. I could not be more proud.”

The Falcons finished second at the end of the group games, losing 46-45 in a nail-biting match against the Republic of Ireland.

Charlie Preston, receives her player of the tournament award. Photo: Ben Lumley / Europe Netball

They met the Isle of Man in the semi-finals and came away with a convincing 60-50 win over their higher-ranked opponents, which secured a final rematch against the Irish.

The competition was split into two divisions based on the world rankings; UAE ranked 28th, competed against the Republic of Ireland (31st), the Isle of Man (25th) and Malta