Bermuda's netball team head for their first World Tournament in eight years when they set off tonight for Birmingham, England.

The team will be captained by their most experienced player, Debbie Smith of Netts.

This will be Smith's third World Tournament, having represented Bermuda in their first trip to the event in Trinidad and Tobago in 1979 and again in Scotland in 1987 -- the last time Bermuda participated in netball's major competition.

Seven groups with four teams in each line up for this year's Worlds, with Bermuda in Group G along with Wales, Antigua and Western Samoa. The top two teams in each group advance to the second round.

Competition starts on Sunday with Bermuda taking on Wales in their opening match. On Monday, Bermuda play Antigua and then Western Samoa next Tuesday.

The team are fully aware of the tough task that awaits them, with the likes of Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa and Caribbean teams, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago among the favourites.

But they remain confident of advancing past the first round.

The local players have been in training for several months, having employed the services of English-born Collett Thompson, a former member of the All England team. Thompson leaves on tonight's British Airways flight with the rest of the team.

Assistant coach Carol Bean who played at the World Tournament in 1979 and was assistant coach in 1987 when Bermuda finished ninth out of 20 teams, believes this year's squad combines a useful blend of youth and experience.

Some of the more experienced players include shooters Debbie DeShields of Aico and Kim Minors of Netts, vice captain Wenda Godfrey of Cardinals, Sheena Maybury, Rhonda Rawlins, who has also represented the country in hockey, Vernel Flood, Petti Tucker and Lenora Maloney.

Both Godfrey and Maybury are members of proud sporting families. Godfrey is from the Astwood family which has seen brothers Marischal and Glenn represent the country in soccer and sailing and sister Judithanne in golf, while Maybury's brothers are well known cricketers Arnold, Andre and Anthony Manders who have also been Bermuda internationals.

Others in the 12-member squad are Nicole DeGraffe, who is Bean's daughter, Debra Phillips and Nina Webb. Most of the players are comfortable at playing in more than one position, something which the coaches see as an important advantage.

"It's a good blend and the team is very versatile,'' said assistant coach Bean. "That's what we're looking at. We should be able to take someone from wing attack and put them at wing defence and it shouldn't affect the team in any way.

"Versatility has certainly been something we've looked at in putting the team together. The girls have been playing in round robin tournaments since September of last year, but getting down to the nitty gritty, so to speak, since March.'' "It's not going to be an easy road. We're going to have to work hard to get into the top group but it's not impossible. The girls are quite capable of doing well and finishing in the top two. They just need to stay focused and apply themselves and they should do okay.'' Added Bean: "We're eager, optimistic and are feeling good about ourselves so it's just about staying focused and doing what we have to do when we get on the court.

"I always contend at the end of the day it does end up being in the shooting circle and that's going to be the difference. I think our shooters are up to it and they should come through.'' In their debut at this tournament Bermuda finished at the bottom in 1979 before learning from that experience and coming back to place in the top half in '87. Some of the experienced players from then have moved on but the make-up of the team leads Bean to believe they can do well.

"With the experience they know what to expect,'' she said. "We've brought in Collett, a player of the all-England netball, and me being a player and coaching in 1987, so we're not going unprepared.'' Squad: Debbie Smith, captain (Netts, centre, wing attack, wing defence); Wenda Godfrey, vice captain (Cardinals, goal attack, wing attack, centre); Debbie DeShields (Aico, goal shooter); Kim Minors (Netts, goal shooter); Vernel Flood (Aico, GA, WA); Sheena Maybury (PCC, WA, WD); Rhonda Rawlins (Cardinals, WA, C, WD); Debra Phillips (Cardinals, WD, GD); Petti Tucker (Aico, GD, WD); Nicole DeGraffe (Cardinals, GD, WD); Nina Webb (Netts, GK, GD, WD); Lenora Maloney (PCC, GK, GD).