A netball team has made history by winning a US championship on their first attempt.

Cheshire County Netball's under-17 squad claimed victory at the 2024 US Netball Open Championships in Phoenix, Arizona, from November 8 to 10.

This marks the first time a UK county or club team has participated in the event, which aims to boost the sport's profile across the US.

The winning squad consists of Cheshire County athletes, aged 16 to 18, who were selected for their county last year.

They represent clubs and schools across Cheshire, including Chester, Holmes Chapel, Macclesfield, and Northwich.

Some of the squad members have also been chosen as 'franchise pathway athletes' for the 2024-2025 season, representing Manchester Thunder and Leeds Rhinos NSL clubs.

During their week in the US, the team visited various schools and colleges to promote netball and inspire a nationwide interest in the sport.

Their efforts were acknowledged with thank you letters from elementary school students who were inspired to try netball for the first time.

Nikki Kendrick, performance development lead at Cheshire County Netball, said: "We are thrilled to have been the first UK club to have taken part in the US Netball Open Championships, the biggest and most prestigious netball tournament in the US, and beyond delighted to win the championship.

"This squad has worked so incredibly hard and their dedication and spirit has shown through – on court and off.

"They absolutely deserve their winners' medals after battling hard to beat some very talented US teams and they remained undefeated all tournament.

"We hope by winning the tournament and showcasing the sport in schools, we can evoke the same passion for netball in the US that we have at Cheshire County."

Sonya Ottaway, CEO of the US Netball Open Championships, said: "The US Open Netball Championships, the premier netball event in North America since 2009, has women's and co-ed teams, from 24 US states and eight countries, compete for the prestigious titles of US Open Netball Champions.

"The aim of this event is to foster the development of American athletes, coaches, and umpires, as netball is a grassroots sport in the USA.

"We were very excited to have Cheshire County Netball participate to help us in this development.

"In addition, we provided opportunities for Cheshire County Netball to visit a local American university and schools to share the opportunities netball brings as well as a bit about British culture."