Rachelle plugs netball cause

Linda McIntyre aims for a goal, but Gabby Aust tries to block the shot in an indoor netball game.

Picture Supplied

 It’s fast, skillful and even better, Rockhampton players are very good at it.

That is the sport of indoor netball and next month five teams from the area will be sending players to Cairns to compete in a round of the Super League Competition.

Self-professed “hardcore netball fanatic” Rachelle Hobbs said the Rockhampton teams cleaned up in last year’s program.

“We won the men’s, women’s and mixed (competition),” she enthused.

Rockhampton will be sending two mixed-grade teams this time and also a girl’s under-21 team.

“We are the strongest region in the competition,” she confirmed.

The competition against teams from Mackay and Townsville, as well as the hosting Cairns association, is a stepping stone for the zone representative team, which covers the area from Rockhampton to Cairns.

The zone is called North Queensland and Rockhampton players have done well in the past, gaining recognition and playing for NQ.

The president of Rockhampton Super League committee, Jacqui Newdick, said local teams had an outstanding record when representing the region.

“Rocky had (last year) an incredible total of over 30 Rockhampton residents selected to play at zones level; that’s quite an accomplishment,” she said.

For Hobbs it doesn’t matter what form of netball it is, she just loves playing.

The star centre plays for Frenchville in the traditional form of the game, but admits she also enjoys the speed of indoor netball.

“The court is a little smaller and you can pass (the ball) off the net,” she said.

“The men’s netball is particularly fast – it’s a great spectator sport.”

With five teams of nine players, plus support staff, travelling to Cairns for the competition, fundraising has been intense.

However, the main fundraiser comes at the Indoor Sports Arena next Saturday evening, when the indoor netball players hold a trivia night.

Hobbs said it would be a fun-filled night with plenty of opportunities for people to take home a prize, whether earned through their general knowledge or luck in a raffle.

The organisation invites teams of six to turn up for the event and support netball.

Registration is on Saturday at 6.30pm.