Live stream: More than 6000 people expected for Queensland Junior State Age Championships netball competition

Netball Queensland brings one of their top tournaments to a regional area for the first time - and Townsville is set to benefit big time. See the action on KommunityTV from 8am on Saturday.

The state’s best young netballers will all be in Townsville for the next four days as Netball Queensland brings one of their top tournaments to a regional area for the first time.

More than 200 teams and up to 6000 visitors are expected to hit Townsville from all over the state for the Junior State Age (JSA) competition.

Matches begin at 8am on Saturday.

CATCH ALL THE DAY ONE ACTION HERE

You can catch 86 games (48 on day one and 38 on day two) LIVE from two courts (five and 11) over the first two days of the championships on KommunityTV.

There will also be games streamed from two courts on Monday and Tuesday. A draw for those days will be finalised at the end of Sunday’s matches.

See the LIVE STREAM below.

Cr Maurie Soars, TCNAI Operations Manager Natalie Parsloe and NQ’s Luke Asi.

Netball Queensland competitions manager Luke Asi said it had been a priority for the organisation to take the JSA to regional Queensland.

“This is the first time we’ve taken the junior state age regional. We wanted to take it regionally because for the last few years it’s been in South East Queensland, and in doing so the numbers have increased from last year, so we know it works,” Asi said.

“We know there’s an appetite here, we’ve almost doubled the regional associations attending this year, as well as huge support from SEQ associations.

“We have 220 teams competing over four days, including six boys teams, with returning associations from Tully, Whitsundays and Charters Towers, just to name a few.”

Townsville City Netball Association Inc (TCNAI) operations manager Natalie Parsloe said hosting the competition allowed Townsville to field more teams than usual – with teams in each girls division and two boys teams.

“They get to play in front of all their family and friends, but it also provided us an opportunity to field more teams, which we normally wouldn’t do,” Parsloe said.

Townsville City Councillor Maurie Soars welcomed the economic windfall the city’s businesses were expected to enjoy.

“Any economic activation as well as the activation for the kids, it just doesn’t get any better,” Soars said.

“We’re looking at 220 teams coming to town with all those players, support staff and families. As a council we’re very keen to make sure we continue to support and improve the liveability of our city.”

U14 Townsville captain Mia Solomona.

Boys and girls U14 team captains Harper Hobbs and Mia Solomona were looking forward to getting on the court on Saturday.

“It’s my first time playing netball competitively, and first time as a captain, so it’s pretty exciting,” Hobbs said.

“I get to learn lots of new skills from other people and other teams, and it’ll be fun to play Palm Island, I’ve never played them.”

“I think it’s really good that we have it here and get to share our experiences with our visitors. I’m looking forward to getting some tough competition and playing at a higher level of competition,” Solomona said.

Most associations will bring their own umpires but a number of local referees have put their hand up to help out on the courts.

One of those is Joshua Bragg, who expected great game play.

“State age is always such an intense event and such enjoyment comes out of it, so I’m looking forward to it,” Bragg said.

Originally published as Live stream: More than 6000 people expected for Queensland Junior State Age Championships netball competition