Cape Town - The much anticipated Telkom Netball League will get under way tomorrow with players looking to find some form ahead of the World Cup later this year.
The Proteas contenders will be keen to catch the eye of selectors to secure a place in the squad before the World Cup in Cape Town.
It won’t be an easy feat, though, as Netball South Africa have 22 contracted players who will make up the core of the national team.
The Telkom Netball League has certainly grown since it began in 2014, where the Free State Crinums were the inaugural winners. They went on to dominate the league, and won the title three years in a row.
It was then the turn of the Gauteng Jaguars, who upstaged the Crinums and went one one better to secure the championship for four consecutive years.
All eyes will be on SA captain Bongi Msomi’s team, the Gauteng Golden Fireballs. They are the defending champions, and there is no doubt that the opposition will want to topple them this season.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, have Proteas duo Izette Griesel and Lungile Mthembu in their ranks. Griesel was part of the Jaguars team that lost in last year’s final, so she and her teammates will want to go one better in 2023.
It’s no secret that the Gauteng teams have been the top performers in recent seasons.
Speaking to the media after the announcement that Telkom have extended their sponsorship with NSA for the next three years, governing body president Cecilia Molokwane said she wants to see new champions, and believes there could be a surprise this time around.
Molokwane may be right, as there are two new teams that were added to the league in the Lillies from Limpopo and Sonoblomo from the Free State, which means the league has increased from 13 to 15 teams.
Western Cape side the Stings take on the Eastern Cape Aloes. The Stings have Nichole Taljaard, who most recently played for the Proteas during the Quad Series in February. The shooter will want to perfect her game as the World Cup edges closer.
The first leg of the event will start tomorrow and run until Monday at the Ngoako Ramatlhodi Sports Complex in Seshego, Polokwane.
The Telkom Netball League will resume with the second leg on June 2 at the Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria.
Tomorrow’s Fixtures
8am: Diamonds v Lillies 10am: Queens v Sonoblomo
12pm: Stars v Aloes
2pm: Stings v Flames
4pm: Sunbirds v Comets 6pm: Fireballs v Jaguars
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