As Sky Sports reveal they will be showing the Netball World Cup this summer, we revisit our favourite retro sports
Time to dust off your tube socks and pleated skirt because netball is back on-trend and Sky Sports have exclusively announced that they will be showing the Netball World Cup, live for the first time in August. Not only are we collectively high-fiving that more women's sport will grace our screens (and about time too) but we're also pretty hyped up about revisiting our favourite retro team sport. Pass us the Wing Attack bib, because we've got a serious urge to shoot some hoops.
Here's why we love netball, and why it's time to bring back these retro sports too...
Netball
It’s likely you haven’t stepped foot on a court since you were a teenager, but now that Sky Sports are showing the Netball World Cup, and as part of England Netball’s Big Summer of Netball, it might be time to get involved again. The aim is to encourage more women in their 20s and 30s back to netball, to rediscover the joy of a bounce pass or a throw in, something you likely left behind with long socks and PE knickers when you left school. Over 45,000 women have so far taken part in sessions that promote the social element of team sport (i.e. the fun bit). Even absolute beginners are signing up for a bit of healthy competition, an all-round workout and a damn good laugh. What are you waiting for?
Lacrosse
The slightly obscure game played on a grass field with a rubber ball and a large, long-handled racquet was formerly something only girls from ‘the good school’ did. But in a bid to drop its fusty image and become more accessible, lacrosse community clubs have started popping up nationwide. If you’ve never played, familiarise yourself with the basics and then find an amateur club near you. This is retro sports the posh way. Even Prince Harry's getting involved.
Badminton
Not just for grandmas, guys. Badminton is making a bit of a return to form as a more accessible alternative to tennis. Play at your own speed, join a club or just grab a mate and play socially. You don’t even need to venture outside your back garden if you don't feel like it - restyling the washing line into some kind of DIY net works just as well. Badminton also involves quite possibly the best-named piece of sporting equipment ever: the shuttlecock.
Rounders
Remember when you could lose an entire afternoon during the summer holidays to a game of rounders? All you needed was four jumpers as bases, a bat, a ball and a bunch of mates. Well, not much has changed since then except that afternoons in the park now involve Pimms and barbecues. But take picnics to a competitive new level by introducing a game of rounders into the mix. With 24,000 adults now playing at least once a week and 40 leagues currently running in the UK, you won’t be short of teammates. Some might call it win-win.
Rollerblading
It’s moved on since starring in commercials for sanitary wear, now you can style yourself in neon leggings and freestyle skate around some of the UK’s most beautiful parks and outdoor spaces. Sometimes to a hip-hop soundtrack, no less. Either get on-board with group events in your local area or go disco blading with a marshalled night skate around your neighbourhood. Is it a party? Is it a workout? Who even cares?!
