Varsity Netball has grown from strength to strength over the past five years and the 2018 season is set to be one of the best and most tightly-contested yet. Here are 15 things you probably didn’t know about the upcoming season.
1) The same eight teams as last year, will be in action again
2) Kovsies (5) will have the most home matches. The rest of the teams with their home matches allocated to them: Maties (4), Madibaz (3), Tuks (1), UJ (1), UWC (0), NWU (0), VUT (0)
3) UJ (Roelize Mörs) and NWU (Elsunet du Plessis) have new head coaches. Du Plessis becomes the second person after Dumisani Chauke (Madibaz) to play and coach in the competition. Du Plessis played for NWU in 2013.
4) Elsunet du Plessis is one of eight former and current Proteas coaching in the competition. The others are Karin Venter (assistant, Kovsies), Lana Krige (head, Madibaz), Zanele Mdodana (head, Maties), Adéle Niemand (assistant, Maties), Julene Meyer (assistant, NWU), Erin Burger (assistant, Tuks) and Martha Mosoahle-Samm (head, VUT).
5) Only three universities, Kovsies (2013-2014), NWU (2015-2016) and Tuks (2017) have won the trophy.
6) No team has been able to go through a Varsity Netball campaign unbeaten.
7) NWU, with four, have reached the most finals.
8) Tuks and NWU are the only teams to have reached the semi-finals every year.
9) Tuks (81.39%) are the most consistent team with the best winning percentage over the years.
10) Three players with Proteas experience will participate this year. They are Sigi Burger (NWU, 9 test caps), Ine-Marí Venter (Tuks, 6) and Jeanie Steyn (Madibaz, 3).
11) Thirteen players have played Varsity Netball before making their Protea debuts. They are (in order of debut for the Proteas, and in brackets their university and the years they played Varsity Netball before becoming a Protea):
Lenize Potgieter (UJ, 2013)
Kifiloe Tsotetsi (NWU, 2013)
Zanele Vimbela (Madibaz, 2013)
Lauren-Lee Christians (Kovsies, 2013-2014)
Izette Griesel (Tuks, 2013-2014)
Shadine van der Merwe (Tuks, 2013-2014)
Elsunet du Plessis (NWU, 2013)
Renske Stoltz (Tuks, 2013 & NWU, 2015)
Jeanie Steyn (Tuks, 2013-2014)
Sigi Burger (NWU, 2015)
Juline van der Merwe (Maties, 2013-2016)
Danelle Lochner (Kovsies, 2016)
Ine-Marí Venter (Tuks, 2014-2016)
12) Zandré Erasmus of NWU, with nine, leads the list for most FNB Player of the Match awards. In second place is Shadine van der Merwe (Tuks with seven). Joint third are Jeanie Steyn (Madibaz) and Juline Rossouw (Maties) with five each.
13) Hlumisa Sithonga (Madibaz), Kim-roché Holmes (UJ) and Tanya Mostert (Kovsies) will all be playing in their sixth series. They were there from the start. Other survivors from 2013 who missed one or two competitions in between, are Arné Rust (Madibaz), Romé Dreyer (NWU) and Jeanie Steyn (Madibaz).
14) Kovsies will field the most experienced team. Seven of their players have played in three or more Varsity Netball competitions.
15) Three players are 1.90m or taller. Jaumbuaije Zauana (UWC) at 1.93m is the tallest, followed by Ine-Marí Venter (Tuks, 1.92m) and Sigi Burger (NWU, 1.90m).
16) Four players are shorter than 1.60m. They are Sanelise Mgijima (Madibaz, 1.59m), Dillian Pienaar (Madibaz 1.58m), Joy Nsele (VUT, 1.57m) and Amber Petroos (UJ, 1.56m).
17) Competition records:
Most consecutive wins: 12 (Kovsies 2014-2015)
Most consecutive losses: 17 (VUT 2015-2017)
Biggest win: 79 goals (NWU 93-14 VUT, 2016) & (NWU 94-15 VUT, 2017)
Most goals scored in match: 125 (Tuks 90-35 UWC, 2017)
Most goals scored by a team: 98 (Tuks 98-26 UJ, 2014)
Least goals scored in a match: 61 (Maties 45-16 UCT, 2014)
Least goals scored by a team: 12 (Tuks 78-12 TUT, 2013)
18) The teams for the first two rounds:
– Kovsies: Alicia Puren (GS, captain), Tanya Mostert (GD/WD), Khomotso Mamburu (GD/WD), Lefébre Rademan (GA/WA), Sikholiwe Mdletshe (WD/C), Ané Retief (GK), Khanyisa Chawane (C/WA), Meagan Roux (GA/WA), Maryke Coetzee (GK/GD), Gertriana Retief (GS), Jabulile Mabina (WD), Jana Scholtz (WD/GD).
Coach: Burta de Kock.
Assistant coach: Karin Venter.
– Madibaz: Nolusindiso Twani (GA/GS), Bianca Blom (GA/GS), Jody Vorster (GS), Carla Viviers (WA/GA), Arné Rust (C/WA), Nobubele Phuza (C/GD), Palesa Poyo (WD/GD), Mihlali Mahlangeni (WA/C), Jeanie Steyn (GK, captain), Hlumisa Sithonga (GD/GK), Yoliswa Gusha (GA/WA), Eloise Webb (WD/C).
Coach: Lana Krige.
– Maties: Charmaine Baard (GS), Sian Moore (GS), Nichole Taljaard (GA), Donné Kriel GA/WA), Adri Uys (WA), Carla Werth (C, captain), Sasha-Lee Petersen (WD/C), Zhane Petersen (WA), Tania Hlabane (WD/C), Caleigh Stuart (GD), Lauren Adendorf (GD / GK), Stephanie Brandt (GK /GD).
Coach: Zanele Mdodana.
Assistant coach: Adéle Niemand.
– NWU: Sigi Burger (GS), Jessica du Plessis (GA/WA), Anja Esterhuizen (GS), Louise Louw (GA/WA), Romé Dreyer (C/WA, captain), Jomari Myburgh (WA/C), Keabetswe Mtshali (WA/WD), Mirriam Maroba (C/WA), Monique Reyneke (GD), Didi Keebine (WD/GK), Leonie Maree (GK), Caitlinn Rousseau (WD/GS).
Coach: Elsunet du Plessis.
Assistant coach: Julene Meyer.
– Tuks: Venetia Grobler (GS), Rumandi Potgieter (GA), Anique Grobler (WA), Andile Tombeni (WA), Jeanette Vermeulen (GA), Marilyn Cilengi (GD), Lebogang Kekana (GD), Juzelri Garbers (GK), Ine-Marí Venter (GS), Chantelle Swart (GA), Tshina Mdau (WD, captain), Akosua Mensah GD).
Coach: Jenny van Dyk.
Assistant coach: Erin Burger.
– UJ: Amber Petoors (C), Jodie Brown (GK), Intando Gumede (WD), Twanette Thoms (GK), Kim-roché Holmes (GA), Beverely Monyake (GD), Mpumi Mbonambi (WD), Halala Nxumalo (WA, captain), Erin van Wyk (GS), Lizandi Schoeman (C), Naledi Peter (WA), Marileé van der Walt (GA).
Coach: Roelize Mörs.
Assistant coach: David Maree.
– UWC: Jaumbuaije Zauana (GS), Vendjihonga Katjaimo (GA), Gailynn Potts (GA), Cindy Amsterdam (WA), Heike Swartz (WA), Keesha van Schalkwyk (C, captain), Akhona Faye (WD), Wilmedine Boer (GD), Alicia Pieterse (WD), Savannah Kasner (GK), Esli Triegaardt (GK), Ilke Cape (GS).
Coach: Janine du Toit.
Assistant coach: Freda Kemp.
– VUT: Zanele Mokoena (GS), Nokukhanya Ntombela (GA), Karabo Mothupi (WA), Silondile Mlondo (C/WA, captain), Lerato Moeko (C/WD), Molebogeng Sekeleko (WD), Penelope Khoase (WD), Sagwadi Mathonsi (GK), Tsakani Mthombeni (GK), Fikile Makhubela (GD).
Coach: Martha Mosoahle-Samm.
Assistant coach: Thoko Masoka.
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