LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL:

AHEAD of a busy international season, Netball South Africa (NSA) has named a 26-member SPAR Proteas squad for a training camp in Pretoria next month.

The squad was named after the eight-week Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League (BFNPL).

Head coach Norma Plummer and her assistant, Nicole Cusack, watched the last two weekends of competition, before meeting NSA officials to discuss the selection of the squad.

“We wanted to have a look at the top players ahead of an international season that includes the Quad Series, the Diamond Challenge, and two tests against Fiji,” Plummer said.

“We watched the playoff stages of the competition, and were able to see how the players performed under pressure.

“We also watched videos of other matches, so we have a good idea of which players stood out.”

Four members of the squad – Lenize Potgieter, Bongiwe Msomi, Erin Burger and Karla Mostert – did not play in the BFNPL because they were playing overseas, Potgieter in New Zealand, Msomi in the United Kingdom and Burger and Mostert in Australia.

“I watched Erin and Karla playing in the Australian competition, and I was able to watch the others by live streaming,” Plummer said.

“They have all done very well and Bongi was the player of the match in the final of the super league in England.

“I have also been in contact with their coaches, so I know what they have achieved.

“They have been playing at the highest level, and they will bring that experience back to the rest of the team. They will set a benchmark for the other Proteas.”

A team of 26 will be announced at the end of the training camp.

Plummer said they would be concentrating on selecting the right blend of players for the international season.

“We will be looking for players who can push the Proteas to greater things,” she said.

The Jaguars, who won the BFNPL, leave later for New Zealand this month, where they will play in an international club tournament.

Plummer said this would be a fantastic experience for them, and would assist the Jaguars who were in the national training squad.