JERSEY captain Emily Green believes the island’s silver-medal success at the 2026 Island Invitational Netball Games sent a message that talent, opportunity and ambition in Jersey extend far beyond the established Evelyn Partners Jets first team.
Jersey finished runners-up to Netball France at Oakfield Sports Centre after reaching Sunday’s grand final, where they were beaten 57-44, but Green was left immensely proud of a weekend which she believes delivered far more than a medal.
In a deliberate decision to showcase the island’s wider talent pool, Jersey opted against fielding their established Jets side, instead blending emerging youngsters, regional players and experienced former players.
It was a decision Green described as ‘brave and bold’, but one which paid dividends as Jersey demonstrated their depth throughout the three-day competition.
The hosts opened their campaign with a series of shortened matches on Friday, beating Orkney 17-10, Guernsey 29-16 and Shetland 28-18, before narrowly losing 21-19 to France. They rounded off the opening round with a convincing 30-17 victory over Ynys Mon.
Jersey then stepped up to full-length fixtures on Saturday, recording impressive wins over Guernsey (70-36) and Ynys Mon (56-44), with the Evelyn Partners Jets also fitting in a 55-42 Premier League 2 victory over Blackpool between the two Island Invitational matches.
That secured Jersey’s place in the final against France, where they ultimately fell 57-44, having remained competitive for significant periods before a difficult second quarter proved costly.
Green admitted the disappointment of missing out on gold was mixed with considerable pride.
‘We wanted to win because we’re competitors, and it was a little emotional after the final,’ she said.
‘But it wasn’t just sadness and disappointment at not getting first place. There was also a huge amount of pride in the performances we produced throughout the weekend.
‘For an island going up against a country like France, I think we have to give ourselves a pat on the back. We stood up, gave it a go and showed that we can compete.’
The Jersey captain was particularly keen to emphasise the thinking behind the squad selection, with development and opportunity placed ahead of simply assembling the strongest possible starting seven.
‘The most important thing for me was that we didn’t field our Jets team for this tournament. We wanted to showcase the wider breadth of Jersey talent and give development opportunities, particularly to the youngsters coming through.
‘It was a brave and bold coaching decision, but development and opportunity were at the forefront of it.
‘Before every game, my message to the girls was: “Be big, be bold and be brave.” And we did that.’
Despite the final defeat, Green felt her side demonstrated considerable resilience after finding themselves 32-16 behind at half-time.
With the scoreboard threatening to get away from them, the message from the coaching staff was to forget the deficit and concentrate on producing the standard of netball they knew they were capable of.
‘Serena [Kersten] said she wanted us to ignore the scoreboard. She wanted us to play our game, execute the phases we had worked on and come off the court proud of what we’d put out there.
‘We went back out and did exactly that. Our fourth quarter was massive. We created plenty of turnovers, moved the ball really well into the circle and executed our shots.
‘We weren’t going to be bullied off our lines or give up our space. It would have been really easy to let France run away with it, but we kept attacking the game.
‘We gave the crowd something to cheer about and, hopefully, showed the youngsters watching what it looks like to stare a difficult situation in the face and keep turning up anyway.
‘Bravery isn’t the absence of fear. It’s feeling it and going out and doing it anyway.’
There were also individual highlights, with Emily Le Gros earning particular praise for her work at goal shooter, while Maddie Fitz impressed with her versatility and impact across several positions in the final.
Green also highlighted the recognition received by the island beyond the silver medal. Jersey finished as the tournament’s highest-scoring team, while France edged them by just one goal in the best defensive category.
Youngster Beth Wood was also named joint Player of the Tournament.
For Green, however, perhaps the most significant achievement was the example set by a squad which brought together players at very different stages of their sporting lives.
Alongside the emerging youngsters were experienced players balancing family commitments, including Green and vice-captain Amy Burke, who both have two young children, Lauren Devine, who is also a mother of two, and Leah Griffin, who has a six-month-old baby.
‘I’m really proud of what that group of women represents and what women’s bodies and minds can do when you’re determined, committed and have the right support around you,’ she said.
‘It’s about showing that life doesn’t end sporting-wise when you’re a parent. You can still ask more of yourself and make a valuable contribution.
‘You don’t have to be a first-team Jets player to make a valuable contribution. You can be young, you can be older, you can be coming through the development programme or coming off the bench. It doesn’t mean you can’t go out and produce a phenomenal performance when the opportunity comes.’
Green was also keen to pay tribute to the work behind the scenes, singling out Jersey Netball president Wendy Luce and player Millie Pratt for their efforts in organising the tournament.
The event brought together Jersey, Guernsey, Shetland, Orkney, Ynys Mon and Netball France, with Green praising the standard of officiating, facilities and organisation throughout the weekend.
‘The amount of coordination, planning and organisation they put into making these Island Games happen was incredible,’ she said.
‘They brought in six A-award umpires from the UK, so the standard of umpiring was exceptionally high. Everything ran really smoothly, from the accommodation and travel to the timings and the way the venue was laid out.
‘It’s important to recognise the amount of time, energy and emotional commitment that went into making the tournament happen. A massive thank you to Wendy and Millie in particular.’
For Jersey, the silver medal may have been the headline result, but Green believes the lasting legacy of the weekend could prove even more valuable: a reminder of the depth of talent available on the island and the importance of giving the next generation the opportunity to shine.
