After a rollercoaster ride, defending champions UP Tuks fully realise what is at stake when they take on UFS Kovsies on Monday 30 September (19:00) in the semi-final of the 2024 Varsity Netball competition at the Callie Human Hall in Bloemfontein. The Stripe Generation are coming off a huge win over the unbeaten UJ Orange Army in round 7, a game they had to win to make the semi's after suffering back-to-back defeats against Maties and Kovsies.
Contrary to their 2023 campaign in which the Pretoria-based side won the competition without a single defeat, the Stripe Generation had to fight until the very end to make the knockout stages. This follows defeats against NWU, Maties and Kovsies.
Despite their round-robin defeat against their semi-final opponents, Marichelle Visagie believes her side can still progress to the final after an inspirational victory over UJ that pushed them into the top four on the log.
“This year wasn’t an easy ride, we needed seven rounds to make the semi-finals, but it shows we fight till the end and that we want to win. A whole new tournament starts in the knockouts, we are excited, and we will take it game by game and enjoy the netball we can play as a team and make sure we play to each other’s strengths.
“Losing to Kovsies by 18 points took a big toll on us but getting an opportunity to play them in the semi-finals fires us up. I hope they know what’s coming because the Stripe is back, and we are ready to play the best netball.”
Kovsies have the advantage of playing in front of their home fans in the Callie Human Hall. Visagie says despite this, being clinical when it mattered most, may come in handy for Tuks.
“It’s going to be tough, but I think we learned a lot and grew as a team throughout this tournament. I am excited to see what we can produce, it’s going to go down to being clinical and leaving everything on the court.
“I think our win against UJ showed us that we are not ready to back down, we are ready for the challenges ahead and we are here to fight. This is many of us’ last chance to play together as a team.
“I love netball, it is my happy place, it doesn’t matter where you come from, you all strive towards one goal. I would love to one day wear the Green and Gold and represent my country in the sport that I love, but it all starts now.”
For full semi-final fixtures, click HERE.
For tickets click HERE.
by Lehlogonolo Ditshego
.png)
Comments