Picture: The Spar Proteas team during the match/Supplied
By BAKANG MOKOTO
7 January 2025- The SPAR Proteas national netball team, who finished 2024 on a high as the number one ranked team in Africa, start the New Year with an exciting challenge when they travel to the Caribbean to take on Jamaica in the three-Test Margaret Beckford Sunshine series in Kingston.
Jamaica recently moved into third spot, behind Australia and New Zealand, on the world rankings, after beating England in a Test series. The SPAR Proteas and the Sunshine Girls have played each other 18 times, with the SPAR Proteas winning three times – most notably in the Netball World Cup in Liverpool in 2019, where the South African s won by 55 goals to 52 earning them a spot in the semi-finals.
The Spar Protea coach, Jenny van Dyk. “It’s my biggest challenge since taking over as coach. It’s always tough playing in the Caribbean, but I went to the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in 2023, so I am used to that kind of atmosphere.
“The humidity may also be a problem. Our strategy will be to close the gap in the score-line and then to go in hard, looking for the win.”
Van Dyk said the star goal defence, Karla Pretorius, was being rested for the tour and would be replaced by rising star San-Marie Visser. She said Karla has a young child, and they will be going to the UK after Jamaica, and that’s a long time to be away from her child.
“I am very excited about San-Marie and we need to start building for the future,” she said.
Assistant coach, Zanele Mdodana who was a member of the SPAR Proteas team when they last played in Jamaica, is aware of the challenges involved in playing Jamaica at home. She said it is tough to play Jamaica at home.
“They fill those arenas to capacity, they’ve got the dance, the song. Those spectators come out in full support of their team. But, we made history when we went there under coach Elize Kotze and beat them.
“They’ve got a very vibrant team, dynamic, athletic. Most of their players play in Australia, so they have great international experience. But we want to be the best, so we need to play the best,” said Mdodana.
Van Dyk further said the matches in Jamaica will be played on January 18, 22 and 25 at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston. She added that from Jamaica, the SPAR Proteas will travel to the United Kingdom to play in the Vitality Netball Nations Cup next month.
“The other teams taking part are England, Uganda, and Malawi. We have big ambitions for the Nations Cup. We want to force England to take us seriously and to play their best players against us.
“The gap between England, New Zealand and Jamaica is very narrow and we want to show that we belong up there with them,” said Van Dyk.
She said the South African national under 21 team, the SPAR Baby Proteas will also travel with the senior side to Jamaica to play a friendly series during the Margaret Beckford Sunshine series against the Jamaican national under 21 team.
Van Dyk said this forms part of the SPAR Baby Proteas build-up preparation for the Netball World Youth Cup to be staged in Gibraltar in September.
The Guardian 