Pwllheli netball club pair gain Wales recognition

Two young netball players from the same North Wales club have earned international recognition.

Cassie Ogilvy and Abbi Parkinson, both aged 17 and members of Clwb Pêlrwyd Pwllheli, who compete in the Gwynedd and Anglesey League, are overjoyed after being selected for Welsh Colleges.

Goal Attack (GA) or Goal Shooter (GS) Cassie is from Pwllheli, while Abbi is based in Caernarfon and plays at centre (C) or wing-defence (WD).

This is the first time the pair have been selected for their country, but both have played for the North Wales Talent Centre and North West County together.

Abbi attends Coleg Menai, while Cassie is a student at Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor.

Cassie explained: “First we had trials in Llanelli for Welsh Colleges, which was the first round where they cut down from around 45 to around 20 girls and both of us got in the 20 that were selected.

“Then we had a second and final trial in Bridgend, where there was around 30 trialing as there were late triallers. They then cut the squad down to 20 and we both made it. We have our first game next month.”

Cassie is the younger sister of former Bangor City player and Pwllheli manager Ben Ogilvy.

Ben was the youngest player to represent the Citizens in European competition when he faced FC Dinaburg of Latvia in the Inter-Toto Cup in 2005 aged 16.

Seven months earlier, the graduate of the Bangor academy made his first team debut at Farrar Road against Airbus UK.

Unfortunately his playing career was cut short by serious injury and he retired from playing Welsh Premier League football aged 22.

Cassie is another sporting success story in the Ogilvy family and no doubt big brother Ben will be extremely proud and rooting for her and Abbi when Welsh Colleges compete in April.