Swifts duo go international (From Echo)

Swifts duo go international

12:00pm Wednesday 8th July 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

IT'S been a busy time for the Southend Swifts players currently on international duty. Rebecca Brough and Francesca Whitby are part of the England under-18 team at the European Championships in Israel. The team suffered disappointing defeats in their two opening pool matches but redeemed themselves with an exciting 68-65 win over Slovenia that gave them an outside chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

Joe Hart led the England boys' under-16 team in a series of warm-up games before his championships. They twice defeated the Scotland under-17 side before a 30 point win over Holland, Hart top-scoring with 19. He was rested for the second game against the Dutch outfit with a slightly twisted ankle and his team lost in overtime.

Finally, Christina Gaskin continued to work her way back to match fitness, taking part in three games against Israel, where she top-scored in the final encounter to help her team to a 2-1 series win.

The club made a good start to their summer programme with two convincing victories for their girls' teams over American opposition with no less than 27 different players seeing action. This week sees the boys in action against opponents from across the Atlantic, with two games both tomorrow and Friday. The matches are at Eastwood High School with play starting on both evenings at 6pm.