Hi and welcome to the forum,
My advice for matches would be to join a club that has matches, go along and quietly watch if allowed and see how the venue is fished. Ask questions after the weigh in on methods used and bait, show interest and you will get some helpful replies
What I wouldnt do is just turn up blind to the venue even if you had fished it a couple of times, You may catch a few, but come the match dont forget that there may be 20 others fishing same stretch and have regularly fished it.
Without sounding patronizing "Walk before can run"
Then you may find you do better in match than you thought, Everyone has to start somewhere,and to me asking questions is the first step.
What I wouldnt do is see an "Open" match advertised and enter it, These are venue regulars and will more than likely know how most pegs fish,
Most matches will be fished with a pole so if you do decide to enter matches make sure you have the best and longest you can afford even if you buy 2nd hand. Also need waggler and feeder rods,2 keepnets, it's expensive getting kitted out, but dont go down the route of buy cheap buy twice. That's not to say there isn't cheap good tackle out there,
Hope the above helps,