Ursulas lose Plate final 38-39 to St
The Virgin Islands women’s netball team, the Ursulas, fell 38-39 to hosts St Eustatius in the Plate final at LB Scott Sports Auditorium in St Maarten on Sunday, October 26, 2025, ending a tournament that saw them rebound with two straight wins. After a slow start and an opening loss to Statia, the Ursulas beat Guadeloupe and then St Eustatius in the playoffs before narrowly missing out on Plate honours in a one-point thriller, with Tammy Joseph singled out for praise by match reports.
The Virgin Islands women’s netball team, the Ursulas, left the territory on Monday, October 20, 2025, to take part in the regional Battle of the Isles tournament co-hosted by St Eustatius and St Maarten from October 21-26, organisers said. Merkman Sports Auditorium in Oranjestad, St Eustatius.
VINO reported that Canada opened play with a heavy 75-21 victory over Statia on the first night before the Ursulas took the court against the hosts. In their opening match on October 22 the Ursulas were beaten by St Eustatius. VINO’s match report shows the BVI trailed 6-15 after the first quarter, 16-29 at halftime and 27-38 after three quarters as Statia’s younger, quicker unit out-hustled the visitors.
The Ursulas found some rhythm late in the game but could not close the gap. The schedule then moved into a round-robin phase, which would see the Virgin Islands face Canada, Guadeloupe, Bermuda and St Maarten. Organisers — working with World Netball and Americas Netball — said the event provided a valuable chance for the BVI squad to test players against higher-ranked opposition and to gain international experience.
After relocating to St Maarten to complete the programme, the Ursulas’ campaign picked up. VINO reports the team put together a two-game winning streak: on Friday, October 24, they beat Guadeloupe 53-21 in St Maarten, and in the playoff the following day they avenged their opening defeat by overcoming St Eustatius 38-30.
Netball BVI posted motivational messages on its Facebook page during the tournament. Ahead of the Plate final the association wrote the squad was "prepared, focused, and fired up, ready to give it everything and leave it all on the court." After the tournament Netball BVI thanked supporters, sponsors and everyone who helped make the trip possible, saying the team was "leaving this tournament with gained experience, and an ever closer netball family." These posts were cited by VINO.
The Plate final at LB Scott Sports Auditorium in St Maarten on Sunday proved to be a tight, physical contest. VINO’s update says the Ursulas led 11-10 after the first quarter, drew the second quarter 8-8, dropped the third 10-12 and tied the final quarter 9-9, leaving the visitors one goal short in a 38-39 defeat.
VINO also named Tammy Joseph as the standout performer for the Ursulas in the final. Elsewhere in the tournament 47th-ranked Canada won gold, defeating Bermuda 61-32 in the final, VINO reported, while Bermuda recorded only their second defeat of the five-team competition as they returned from a self-imposed international hiatus.
Netball continues to grow in the Virgin Islands through expanding local clubs and youth programmes, and coaches have said tournaments like the Battle of the Isles provide invaluable competitive minutes under pressure. Specific broadcast or streaming details were not confirmed, but VINO and tournament channels posted updates and results through the event; supporters were encouraged to follow Netball BVI and regional outlets for coverage and future fixtures.
Primary source: VINO