Netball Proteas players attract interest from top overseas teams

The Netball Proteas players have attracted interest from some of the world's top teams, with nine players securing professional contracts to play overseas. 

Those players featured in the Netball World Cup in Cape Town last month, where South Africa finished in sixth place but managed to retain their fifth place world ranking ahead of Malawi and Uganda. 

Jeante Steyn will play for Southern Steel in New Zealand, while the other eight players have secured contracts with teams in the Superleague in the UK. 

Elmere van der Berg and Shadine van der Merwe will join Manchester Thunder, Khanyisa Chawane will play for Celtic Dragons in Cardiff and Lefebre Rademan is joining the Severn Stars in Worcester. 

Nicola Smith is going to Loughborough Lightning, while Nichole Taljaard will turn out for London Pulse, Owethu Ngubane for the Strathclyde Sirens in Scotland and Ine-Mari Venter for the Saracens Mavericks in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. 

Netball Proteas assistant coach Dumisani Chauke believes having nine players gaining experience in professional leagues in the UK and New Zealand is good for the team. 

“These players will play at a high level regularly,” said Chauke. 

“The more game time our players have, the better it is for the Spar Proteas.

“Australia, New Zealand and England have competitive professional leagues and that is one of the reasons why they remain at the top of international netball.  

“We need our own professional league, but until that time we need as many players as possible playing a high level of netball regularly.

“All countries have their own style of netball and it is to our advantage to have players who know how the game is played in other countries.”

The Netball Proteas will travel to Australia for a three-Test tour before players join their professional teams. The three Tests against the Australian Diamonds will be played in Cairns on October 26 and in Hobart on October 29 and 31.