Dubai Oryx’s men’s performance team returned from London with a 2-1 test series win over France’s Men’s National Open Squad after three matches at The Score Leisure Centre in Leyton.
The series, played on June 20 and 21, marked a first for France, who fielded their inaugural national men’s open netball squad. The matches were staged at the training venue of London Giants, the reigning English national champions.
Oryx started the weekend with a clear 45-23 win in the opening match.
They then secured the series in the second game, edging France 30-28 after a tight contest. France led 10-5 after the first quarter and 17-14 at half-time, but Oryx turned the match in the third quarter, moving 23-19 ahead before holding on by two goals.
That result gave the Dubai team an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, despite having little room to rotate. Seven Oryx players took the court in each fixture across the weekend, adding to the physical demands of three matches in two days.
France finished the series with a 33-30 win in the final match. Oryx led 16-11 at half-time and 24-22 after three quarters, but France closed strongly to take the last game by three goals.
The result adds to a fast start for Dubai Oryx, a club founded only in August 2024. The club was set up as the first men’s and mixed-only netball club in the GCC, with a focus on giving male players in the UAE and wider Gulf more chances to play competitive netball.
The invitation from France was also a sign of progress. National representative teams do not often select club opposition for international fixtures, and the series gave Oryx a chance to test themselves against a new national programme.
Series result:
Dubai Oryx won 2-1
Match 1:
Dubai Oryx 45-23 France
Match 2:
Dubai Oryx 30-28 France
Match 3:
France 33-30 Dubai Oryx
