Players fail to make the grade for Proteas
NOT one player from the Eastern Cape Aloes was named in the Spar Proteas team that was announced by Netball SA this week.
The 26-women team that was named on Tuesday features players mostly from Gauteng province with some from North West, Free State, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
Netball South Africa’s director of selection, Christine du Preez believes the Aloes have a long way to go towards proving themselves worthy of national callup.
“Teams like Baobabs and Aloes still have a lot of work to do because they play against high training teams,” she said.
“You get teams like Jaguars and Fireballs who train about three to five times a week.”
Du Preez said the national team is selected after the eightweek challenge of the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League.
The curtains came down on the league at the weekend with the Gauteng Jaguars ending their three-year drought by clinching the championships.
Eastern Cape Aloes captain Nosiphiwo Goda said: “I think if they could look at the potential in the individuals from the lower ranking teams and take one or two to feature in the national team, then they would see the talent in individuals.”
Goda is one of six Aloes players who has had the experience of playing in the national squad.
The other players are Nobubele Phuza, Jeanie Steyn, Lauren Lee Christians and Melodine Jacobs, who will feature in this year’s U21 Baby Proteas squad set to compete in Botswana next month in the Netball world youth championships – and Zanele Vimbela, who no longer plays for the Aloes side but got a national callup while with the team. The Spar Proteas team is: Shooters: Danelle Lochner (WC), Deanke Rohde (GP), Helene Steyn (WC), Ina-Marie Venter (GP), Lenize Potgieter (GP), Lindie Lombard (GP), Maryka Holtzhausen (FS), Renske Stoltz (NW), Sigi Burger (NW).
Centre Court: Bongiwe Msomi (KZN), Erin Burger (GP), Izette Griesel (GP), Khayiswa Chawane (FS), Marilize de Bruin (GP), Nadia Pienaar (GP), Rome Dreyer (NW), Precious Mthembu (KZN).
Defence: Fikile Mkhuzangwe (NW), Karla Mostert (FS), Juline Rossouw (WC), Phumza Maweni (WC), Shadine van der Merwe (GP), Tanya Mostert (FS), Rochelle Loubser (WC), Zanele Vimbela (GP), Zanne-Marie Pienaar (GP).