DEVIZES Netball Club are hoping to set the benchmark for the sport in the county after winning promotion into the new Regional League 3 division.

Devizes, winners of the Premier Division of the county’s Moonrakers League for the last six seasons, finished second in the three-way Regional League play-offs with Avon’s Imperial Royals and Bridgwater Jupiter to earn a spot in South West Netball’s new division.

Chairman Becky Sedgwick is hoping local players wishing to play regional netball will now look closer to home rather than plying their trade further afield.

“We’ve won our league six years in a row and we’ve only lost three or four games in that time,” said Sedgwick.

“Now we’re going to be in the new league and we’re really excited about it.

“We’ve been a bit frustrated staying at the level we’ve been at and now we’re hoping to have the chance to challenge ourselves.

“We’ve got 60 girls in our youth teams and, in the past, people would have to go to clubs in cities if they wanted to play regional netball.

“Now, we can give those players from Devizes and the nearby area the opportunity to stay close to home to play.”

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