Essex Open Netball Club’s Under-14 Maroons were crowned ENG Under-14 Cup Eastern Heat Champions at the Essex Sports Arena on 30 May, securing their place at the National Finals in Walsall on 14 June. The Maroons began the day with a hard-fought 4-4 draw against Brookshaw Stuart Netball Club in a match that lacked their usual fluency. However, they quickly found their rhythm and went on to dominate the remainder of the group stage, winning all of their remaining matches to finish top of the group and book a semi-final place.

In the semi-final, Essex Open faced Barr Beacon Netball Club and, despite not being at their flowing best, produced a disciplined performance to progress comfortably to the final. There they met Shan, a side they had already defeated earlier in the day, and delivered one of their strongest displays of the tournament. Controlling the game from start to finish, the Maroons secured a convincing 9-2 victory to claim the gold medals and the Eastern Heat title. The success was a reward for the squad’s consistency, determination, and ability to raise their performance levels as the competition progressed.