Netball South Africa (NSA) announced the SPAR Proteas squad that will travel to New Zealand and Australia to take on the two top-ranked sides in the world in September and October respectively.
With the likes of Boitumelo Mahloko out injured and Syntiche Kabuya unavailable for selection, three new players have been selected to join the squad for the first time.
They are a trio of defenders who all impressed for their respective teams in this season’s Telkom Netball League (TNL) Entle Futshane, Nozipho Ntshangase, and Juanita van Tonder.
Veteran defender Karla Pretorius also remains unavailable for selection this season, but the team will welcome back another experienced campaigner in Shadine van der Merwe, who has been playing in England’s Netball Super League.
Midcourt dynamo Khanyisa Chawane will continue to captain the side, which also includes the always-entertaining Kamogelo Maseko, the TNL Player of the Tournament Tarle Mathe, and top scorer in the Netball Super League this season, Rolene Streutker.
SPAR Proteas coach Jenny van Dyk explained that trials held in Johannesburg over the weekend were just the final step in the selection process.
“This step was needed to give players a fair opportunity to compete for a position in the team, but also because most of our core group players play in the UK and other national leagues, so we needed to see all the identified players in combination with the top players before making the final decision.
If you are going to take on the best in the world, you need players with experience, grit and a fierce, fighting spirit, and we believe within our core group that is exactly what we have,” said Van Dyk
She added that the team is still a work in progress as the SPAR Proteas look ahead to next year’s Commonwealth Games.
“For this tour we know we don’t have the exact depth we’ve envisioned in one or two key positions yet.
But we have very versatile players within our core group that can get the job done for this tour, and we have a plan in place to create the depth we need afterwards,” explained Van Dyk.
Assistant coach Zanele Mdodana added that this tour is crucial in the build-up to both the Commonwealth Games and the next Netball World Cup.
“We are going to go full force into these Test matches with the objective of really sharpening ourselves, also gauging where we are compared to the professional teams in the world, and we know that the players are fully aware as to what our objectives are and how we’re going to go about achieving them.
There’s Commonwealth Games next year, there’s the World Cup in 2027, and everything that we’re doing is aligning to ultimately assist us in achieving our objectives,” remarked Mdodana.
The SPAR Proteas will first take on New Zealand in a three-Test series on 21, 24 and 28 September in Auckland, Napier and Invercargill, before heading to Australia to face the 12-time world champions in a three-Test series on 4, 8 and 12 October in Bendigo, Wollongong, and Adelaide.
SPAR Proteas Team 2025:
Khanyisa Chawane (C), Nicholé Breedt, Entle Futshane, Kamogelo Maseko, Tarle Mathe, Owethu Ngubane, Refiloe Nketsa, Nozipho Ntshangase, Nicola Smith, Rolene Streutker, Elmeré van der Berg, Shadine van der Merwe, Juanita van Tonder, Jamie van Wyk, Sanmarie Visser.
