The much-anticipated 2024 Varsity Netball tournament starts on Sunday 1 September with the eight participating teams ready to get their hands on the coveted silverware. Last year defending champions UP-Tuks pulled a nine-match winning streak on their way to the final where they beat UJ 63-61 in an exciting display of top netball in the Rembrandt Hall in Pretoria.
The Stripe Generation heads into this year’s campaign as a fully revamped side with a new head coach and a couple of additions to their troops. Erin Burger has taken over the coaching reigns from Jenny van Dyk who has moved onto the national set-up as head coach of the Spar Proteas.
Burger, a former national player herself and the first to reach a 100 test caps for her country, says she intends to carry on the standards set by her predecessor which was winning titles. She says preparations are going well and that the team will not play under the pressure of defending champions but maintaining their set targets.
“It is a great honour to coach Tuks, we are on track, and we are looking for the season to start. There is still a lot of things we want to do better and those are the things we are working on now ahead of the start. I do not see defending the title as extra pressure, I see it as we need to perform well constantly and consistently.
“We want to focus on what we can do, and we want to set the standard as that, we do not want to focus on everyone who wants to beat us, but we want to focus on how we can play good netball. It’s a new year and it is going to be a tough competition as always.”
Although Tuks were virtually untouchable last season, Burger believes there are areas they need to iron out with a new look group.
“We want to improve on possession, keeping and protecting our ball, it is in the timing and in the placement and hopefully by the start of the tournament we will be in good shape. We have players coming in from last year and new players, we have a good mix.” Concluded the 37-year-old Tuks alumni.
UP-Tuks will begin their title defence in a Tshwane derby against newcomers TUT on Sunday 1 September at 17:00. For a full fixture list, click HERE.
PROVISIONAL SQUAD (subject to change): Alice Kennon, Milla Coetzee, Jamie Williamson, Kamogelo Maseko, Phophi Nematangari, Marichelle Visagie, Tinita van Dyk, Melissa van Zyl, Kylie van Wyk, Caroline Paul, Ilani Klopper, Anja van den Heever, Kyla Dames, Luca Keun, Nonkcubeko Mjaliswa, Simone Swanepoel, Janine Moolman, Zionne Grobler.
by Lehlogonolo Ditshego
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