The Glen Innes team have taken on the championships previously in division two, where they finished third last year, but have never played in the top grade. 

They will face competition heavyweights Illawarra, Manly Warringah and other metropolitan Sydney sides.

Glen coach Julie Fuller said they aren’t expecting to take out the competition but are aiming to put in a strong showing. 

“We have never ever, not even come close to playing up there, this is a total first. It is a bit scary, I am a bit nervous and a bit anxious,” she said. 

“We are not thinking the bigger picture, we won't be in the top ones. We just want to try to be competitive and give the other teams a good game.”

In 2017, Fuller coached the under 17 team to the division three title but won’t be entering a team in the younger age group this year with a large number of the youngsters who won that title turning out in the opens team this weekend. 

“They have all been before, they have all done 17s, 15s and things like that. They are not unaccustomed to that level of netball,” Fuller said. 

While keeping her expectations low, Fuller said she is “proud” to have made it to the top grade. 

“I have been coaching for 33 years so this is my coachable moment, to be in a championship division,” she said. 

“It will be a learning curve, different dynamics for this level but we are really proud that we actually got to be up there.”

While the Glen Innes team haven’t had much opportunity to train together, the squad have already tasted success this season with a win in Armidale’s all age carnival last month. 

“It is really hard [to train] because they are at uni and all over the countryside so we don't get together very much,” Fuller said. 

“We had a hit out at the Armidale carnival without two of the players but the rest of them were there.”

The competition runs on Saturday, Sunday and Monday in Gosford and the side will play 15 games. 

In other netball news, Liz Chard and Emily Burton have returned from the Combined High Schools tournament where they turned out for the North West team who finished ninth.