BONUS - RUSTENBURG - The 2024 edition of Varsity Netball started on Sunday, 1 September and once again all eyes will be on the future stars of South African netball to see who will be crowned champions. Considering that all 15 players in the Protea national squad and five of the seven training partners are current or former Varsity Netball stars, great action can be expected until Monday, 7 October when the final will be contested between the top two teams.
The teams who will be vying for bragging rights are defending champions UP-Tuks, 2023 runners-up UJ, Wits, UFS-Kovsies, Maties, NWU, Madibaz and TUT who is the new team, replacing UWC.
The venues for the bumper weekends are the Wits Multi-Purpose Sports Hall (Johannesburg), Madibaz Indoor Sports Centre (Gqeberha), Rembrandt Hall (Pretoria), NWU Mafikeng Great Hall (Mahikeng) and Callie Human Hall (Bloemfontein). “Varsity Netball is the ideal foundation on which to build the future of the sport in South Africa.
“The talent that we have seen through the years is a testament to this. I do not doubt that it will continue, especially if you have a look at the current national squad. “It is now up to the players to make use of this wonderful opportunity.” Last year UP-Tuks, undefeated throughout the 2023 tournament, collected their third title when they beat UJ 63-61 in a pulsating final in a packed Rembrandt Hall. Coach Jenny van Dyk has since moved on to better and bigger things with her appointment earlier this year as Protea Head Coach.
She has been joined by former Maties Coach, Zanele Mdodana, who is now the Assistant Coach of the national team. New Tuks Coach and former national player, Erin Burger, says her team is ready to continue on their winning ways.
Programme: Monday, 9 September - UJ vs Wits at 13:00, NWU vs UP-Tuks at 15:00, Maties vs UFS Kovsies at 17:00, Madibaz vs TUT at 19:00; Monday, 16 September - Madibaz vs UFS Kovsies at 15:00, UP-Tuks vs Maties at 17:00, Wits vs TUT at 17:00, NWU vs UJ at 19:00; Sunday, 22 September - UFS Kovsies vs UP-Tuks at 13:00, Maties vs Madibaz at 15:00, TUT vs UJ at 17:00, Wits vs NWU at 19:00; Monday, 23 September - NWU vs Maties at 13:00, Madibaz vs Wits at 17:00, UFS Kovsies vs TUT at 19:00; Monday, 30 September - Semi-finals at 17:00 and 19:00 and Monday, 7 October - Finals at 19:00.
As an exciting bonus, fans will have the opportunity to catch the action live as all the matches will be broadcast on SuperSport.
Whether you’re in the stands or cheering from home, you won’t miss a moment of the intense gameplay and thrilling moments that make Varsity Netball a must-watch event.
