Peebles S3 38-33 Stathaven S3

Peebles S2 29-16 Mackie S2

PEEBLES Netball is celebrating unprecedented success in this year’s Scottish Schools’ Championships with its S3 team bringing home the gold section title for a remarkable third year in succession.

And its S2 team followed suit with its second gold section win in two years.

Between them these two Peebles teams have five Scottish Schools gold titles to their names.

The school teams are coached and managed by Peebles Netball and started out their campaign to defend their titles last autumn, playing regional round matches to secure their place in the top of three sections of the cup.

Since then they have played in further knock-out rounds, quarter and semi-finals the length and breadth of the country. Almost 200 secondary schools in Scotland are now entering teams in the Scottish Schools’ Cup with Peebles beating the best of the independent and state schools along their outstanding journey.

Due to its record of success in the Scottish Schools Championships, in which Peebles Netball teams have been represented every year in the gold section finals achieving 13 victories and six runner up spots in ten years, Peebles High has been awarded the accolade of Secondary School of the Year for the last two years by the governing body, Netball Scotland.

Coach Linda Nicholson spoke of her delight at the success of the teams this year.

She told the Peeblesshire News: “The pressure the players put on themselves this year was immense given that two teams were defending their titles.

"It is all the more remarkable that these youngsters were able to manage that pressure whilst competing at the highest standard against the top netballing schools in the country.

"The standard of play this year was absolutely amazing with Peebles usually being the team to beat given our record of success.

"To come away with two gold championship wins, both teams defending their titles, and the S3 team securing the triple win they had worked so hard for are great rewards for our efforts.”