THE 2017 Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Urban and Rural Area Junior and Senior League Netball competitions get under way today at several venues across the island.

Action in the Urban Area Junior and Senior Leagues are scheduled to start at 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm, respectively, while rural area matches begin at 2:15 pm and 3:15 pm.

In the urban area matches to played today, All-Island and Urban Junior League champions Gaynestead High will begin their defence when they play host to Penwood’s High at home. They will also host Penwood Senior League team in the second match.

The other matches scheduled in the Urban Area competition include Josè Marti Technical High against Ascot High at home. Camperdown High take on Kingston Technical High (KTHS), Immaculate Conception High go up against Papine High, while Eltham High are at home to Edith Dalton-James High.

Excelsior High, who are the defending Urban Area and All-Island Senior champions, will not be in action until next week Wednesday when they journey to play hosts Campion College.

Matches scheduled in the Rural Area competition are Green Pond High versus St James High, Mount St Josephs High take on Manchester High, Bishop Gibson High face DeCarteret College.

Glenmuir will host Kemps Hill High at home, while York Castle High meet Frome High at home.

Meanwhile, defending Rural Area Junior League champions Holmwood Technical High will start their defence tomorrow when they play host to Mile Gully High.

Rural Area Senior League champions Denbigh High will open against Garvey Maceo High on Friday at home.

Zones G and H have been combined as a result of the withdrawal of a few schools which reduced the number of teams competing. They will play on a home-and-away basis.

Meanwhile, the top two teams from the Urban Area Junior and Senior League zones will advance to the second round to be played in two groups of six teams each. The winners and the runners-up will qualify for the semi-finals.

The final is scheduled for Friday, December 1 at either the Leila Robinson Courts or G C Foster College of Physical Education and Sports in Spanish Town.

Rural Area second-round matches will involve the winners and runners-up of the Junior and Senior League zones. They will be divided into four groups of six teams each with the winners and runners-up qualifying for the quarter-finals to be played on a knockout format.

The finals for the Rural Area Junior and Senior Leagues will be played on Friday, December 1, 2017 at either the Leila Robinson Courts or G C Foster College in Spanish Town. The All-Island Championships will be played on Wednesday, December 6 in Manchester.