This year promises to be an exciting one for Kiara Baxter and Venicia Raynor who continue to broaden their netball horizons in the UK.If all goes favourably the Bermudian duo, who currently play in the British University and College Sport Midlands League for their respective alma maters, could find themselves representing England’s indoor team at the Under-21 World Championships in Australia next summer.So far the university students have impressed during trials and fancy their chances of making the final cut as good.“I think we have the ability and confidence to make it or we wouldn’t have gone to trials,” Raynor said. “I play against some of the girls in the same league as mine, so I know what we were are up against and I am confident that if we do our best we can make it.”Echoing her compatriot’s sentiments, Baxter added: “I am confident that we have what it takes to represent England in the competition. We have gotten pass three rounds of trials and hopefully we can capitalise on these development sessions and make the team.”Baxter is currently studying at De Montfort University while Raynor attends University of Derby.Both players, aged 20, came up through Bermuda Netball Association’s (BNA) development programme and were also team-mates for local side Smooth and Easy Tigers prior to arriving in the UK.Baxter, who also captains and coaches De Montfort African Caribbean Society Team on weekends, described netball in the UK as challenging.“I think the pace in the UK is a little faster and more competitive as opposed to netball in Bermuda,” she added. “The adjustment to playing in the UK was not too big being that the basics of netball are the same worldwide. However, the difference in skill and pace was a change.“Also, indoor netball and variations, such as six-a-side, five-a-side and COED netball, is definitely something new and different interesting forms of netball to learn. But Bermudians can definitely keep up and use our skills and knowledge as assets to the game.”Raynor actually passed up the opportunity to play netball in her first year of studies at university.“I did taekwondo because I thought I was tired of playing netball,” she recalled. “But after a whole year without playing I went straight to trials the next year, I couldn’t stay away.“When I first went to trails there was 60 girls and two teams of ten, I never thought I’d make the first team. But I still tried my best, made the first team and now they want me to be captain this year.”Baxter, who hopes to represent Bermuda and England internationally, believes the local game is on the up and up.“At the moment, I think that local netball is definitely pointed in the right direction,” she said. “We have a great coaching committee through the Bermuda Netball Association (BNA) that is devoted to developing young ladies into masters.”Raynor also reckons that local netball is headed down on the right path but stressed there’s still room for improvement.“I think Bermuda is headed in the right direction but we still have a way to go,” she said. “Right now I think it is going good.“We’ve got girls going over and winning in international competitions and we just need to keep it up.”Baxter added: “In order for progress, this sport needs to be taken seriously. Everyone needs to be committed, involved and have the right attitude.“I think that the community (government, families and sponsors) need to support the sport more in order for Bermuda to be taken more seriously when in preparation and during competition.”