Plummer names seven World Cup debutants

JOHANNESBURG Spar Proteas coach, Norma Plummer has boldly selected seven Vitality Netball World Cup debutants in her squad.

The Australian-born mentor announced her nal 15-player squad that will represent South Africa at the global tournament set for 28 July to 6 August at the Cape Town International ConPlummer vention Centre. and her coaching team have been putting the team through its paces over the last few months starting with the camp leading up to the Quad Series in January which was followed by another training camp in Australia which only consisted of locally based players.

This was followed by two more camps at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport (SAS) including a month-long camp in March. The team has wrapped up the last camp ahead of the World Cup and the players will return to their respective domestic teams for the remainder of the Telkom Netball League. They will meet again in July for the nal stretch of the World Cup prepThese arations. played a big role in Plummer’s selec“Firstly tion of the nal squad. you get the squad and you start waddling it down. They were put through their paces, they got tness testing, strength, and conditioning. Then when they get to training the agility, and the speed work, so then we move into the match play.

“You know the shot per centages, the defensive structures, you've got interceptions or de

ections but it's all on the stats that start to bring up the right player. But also when you get someone like young Jeante, she ran a 19.1 on the beep test and that's the highest of any netballer in South Africa,” says Plummer.

Plummer says it’s important having young players competing at the highest level to minimise the gap when some senior players leave the sport.

Western Cape Southern Stings’ Nicholé Taljaard is one of the players that will feature in her debut World Cup. The Varsity Netball winning player says being part of the squad is a dream come true.

“I've actually been struggling to nd the words to explain anything that I'm feeling right now. If I could tell you how hard we've been training the past year, every single training camp we've had and to be selected in the top 15 is amazing. To play in front of my grandpa and my dad at home is amazing. I wasn't able to have them with me at Quad

Series. They actually don't know this yet but I bought them tickets for the World Cup game and thank goodness I made it,” says Taljaard.

Plummer has also selected experienced players such as Bongiwe

Msomi and

Phumza

Maweni who might be playing in their last World

Cup tournaments while Zanele Vimbela will miss out on the World Cup on home soil, after making her debut in Liverpool.

Nomfundo Mngomezulu, Boitumelo Mahloko and Monique Reyneke – Meyer are the other players who will miss out after having had a run for the Proteas at the Quad Series in January.

Msomi will lead the team and will be assisted by Australian-based, goal defence, Karla Pretorius. PROTEAS SQUAD: Bongiwe Msomi (C), Karla Pretorius (VC), Khanyisa Chawane, Izette Griesel, Owethu Ngubane, Reloe Nketsa, Phumza Maweni, Lenize Potgieter, Lefebre Rademan, Nicola Smith, Jeante Strydom, Nichole Taljaard, Elmere van der Berg, Shadine van der Merwe, IneMari Venter Supersport