TROWBRIDGE’S Terry Higginson is getting ready to take on the world when they represent England at next month’s European Blackball Association Nations Cup.
Higginson and Chippenham Royal clubmate Shaun Ryan will be aiming to pocket a slice of success when they compete against the likes of Scotland, Ireland, Gibraltar and Libya in Malta on November 13-18.
Higginson, 42, will be competing in his second Nations Cup and has been at the heart of the England squad’s preparations for Malta after becoming men’s team manager in 2011.
“I’ve only been an international player for two years but when the previous manager’s post was up for election, I was lucky enough to get voted in,” said Higginson, who will compete in the men’s B1 team.
“The Nations Cup happens every year and there’s a World Championship that also takes place every two years. The EBA also run a European Championship and this team will be going to that next April (in Bridlington, Yorkshire).
“I went to the Nations Cup last year in Dublin and won the men’s doubles with Chris Fee, who’s from Cheshire, so I’m definitely looking forward to playing in it again.”
The Royal Club have teams in the Calne and District, Melksham and District and Trowbridge and District leagues and Higginson’s club team-mate Ryan will be making his international bow in the senior section in Malta.
Ryan, 51, from Chippenham, says that he never expected to earn his first England call-up at last May’s trials in Mansfield.
“I was worried that I wasn’t going to win a game but that didn’t happen and I’m absolutely over the moon to be going,” he said.
“I’ve got to say thanks to Shane Thompson, Daniel Winfield, Owen Heal and Adam Bate, who are all county team-mates that have helped me out a lot. Terry has been great too, as well as Pete Beckenham, who’s let us practice for free at the Royal Club until the Nations Cup.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I’d be going to something like this.”
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