Plummer urges Netball SA to continue grooming young Proteas players

“You win some, you lose some,” was how a bitterly disappointed Spar Proteas coach Norma Plummer tried to console her equally distraught players after they were stunned by Uganda on Sunday. 

The Proteas lost 49-47 to the She Cranes of Uganda to miss out on a fifth-spot finish at the Netball World Cup at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). 

Uganda achieved their highest finish at the Netball World Cup to beat their previous best of seventh place in 2019 and are likely to overtake South Africa in the rankings. 

“You always want more. I know people said to me we were going to be on the podium,” Plummer said as she surveyed the wreckage. 

“These players had so much pressure that was dropped on them because of what was happening around the country and that was enormous. We tried to keep them under control. 

“We would have loved to finish higher but this is what we have been dealt and I said to the girls that you win some and you lose some. I said, 'Remember the feeling of a loss, if you have really got it in you, you don’t want that feeling again'. I think we have real competitors in this team and they are great. 

“Congratulations to Uganda, they kept possession of the ball well and I thought we wasted too many opportunities. We weren't penetrating enough in the first half and you can't afford to do that. 

“The game is possession, that’s where you win it. They took it to us and they deserved to win in the end.” 

On the future, Plummer said Netball South Africa (NSA) must continue to blood new and young players. 

“It is up to NSA to keep developing, you have to keep bringing players in because you need the younger ones coming through to create balance with the ones who are already there. 

“You also don’t want a situation where there is a huge gap when it is their time to move into the team. If you train with them and they feel the intensity, they will be able to step up very quickly and you don’t have a hole.” 

A happy Uganda coach Fred Mugerwa said he hopes the win will spark the country's government into action and make funding available for the team. 

“It will depend on the government if they want to find us. We have a minister of sports who is here with us as leader of the delegation and she has seen what we are capable of. 

“I think when she goes back she will tell her bosses that this team is doing wonders and therefore they need the funding. The moment funding is made available and we have Test matches that other people are having we will keep on improving and doing well.” 

Mugerwa said his team wanted the result more than South Africa did. 

“The match went the way we wanted it to. Going into this match I told the players not to make the same mistakes we made in the first match we played against South Africa on Thursday [which the Proteas won 52-50]. 

“We gave them a lot of respect in the first match and because of that they went ahead with many goals, and we tried to recover but in the fourth quarter we could not go beyond. 

“This time I told them we should start on a high note and they must know that the game will only be over after the final whistle. That is what we did and we won. 

“I am pleased with the performance of my girls because they listened to instructions, even though not 100%,” he concluded with a smile.