GRASSCROFT girls Yasmin Roebuck and Alicia Scholes have just returned from a tour to Australia with the England U17 netball team.
Both girls, who each play wing attack or centre, are members of the England’s Roses Academy, Yasmin at U17 level while Alicia has just moved up to the U19s.
And for former Saddleworth School student Yasmin is was a debut to remember as England played nine games against the hosts and New Zealand.
Yasmin, who is studying at Oldham Sixth Form College, was selected for England after attending a training camp and trial over the summer.
Sandra Roebuck said: “It was amazing that the 12-strong England squad included two girls who live within one mile of each other in Grasscroft.
“As they are both wing attack/centre, only four players from the country were selected for those positions which shows how well they had done.”
Yasmin, 16, began playing aged nine while at Friezland Primary and today plays for club side Manchester Giants and Manchester Thunder in the National Performance League.
Alicia, 17, who is at Hulme Grammar, began playing aged eight at Oldham Ball Hall. She is in her second year in the England academy and just moved up from the U17 to U19s.
Both girls, who attend monthly training camps at Loughborough University, described it as a great experience to play in the tournament that was held at Canberra.
Yasmin is hoping to be selected for Netball Europe at the end of February as the U17s event will be held in Huddersfield.
The girls said England winning gold at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year has helped raise the profile of the sport with thousands more players attracted to the game.
That is likely to be reinforced further as the World Cup is to be held in Liverpool next year.
Yasmin and Alicia both have inherited sporting genes from other family members.
Yasmin’s mother Sandra was a county swimmer and her older brother Nathan was recently featured in the Independent after the 19-year-old centre signed for Warrington Wolves’ U19 academy side.
Alicia, pictured right, is the daughter of former Manchester United and England footballer Paul Scholes while her elder brother Aaron is a semi-professional footballer.
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