Netball SA announce Proteas squad for series against New Zealand, Australia

Netball South Africa (NSA) selectors and coach Jenny van Dyk have included three new players in the Spar Proteas squad to take on top-ranked New Zealand and Australia in September and October away from home. 

With Boitumelo Mahloko injured and Syntiche Kabuya unavailable for selection, defenders Entle Futshane, Nozipho Ntshangase and Juanita van Tonder join the squad for the first time. 

The trio impressed for their respective teams during this season’s Telkom Netball League (TNL). 

Veteran defender Karla Pretorius remains unavailable for selection this season but the team welcome back another experienced campaigner in Shadine van der Merwe, who has been playing in England’s Netball Super League. 

Midcourt dynamo Khanyisa Chawane will continue to captain the side, which also includes Kamogelo Maseko, TNL Player of the Tournament Tarle Mathe and top scorer in the Netball Super League this season Rolene Streutker. 

Van Dyk said trials held in Johannesburg over the weekend were the final step of the selection process. 

“This step was needed to give players a fair opportunity to compete for a position in the team, but also because the majority of our core group of players play in the UK and other national leagues, so we needed to see all the identified players in combination with the top players before making the final decision,” she explained. 

“If you are going to take on the best in the world, you need players with experience and fighting spirit and we believe within our core group that is exactly what we have.” 

Van Dyk added the team is still a work in progress as they look ahead to next year’s Commonwealth Games. 

“For this tour we are well aware we don't have the exact depth we've envisioned in one or two key positions yet, but we have very versatile players within our core group who can get the job done for this tour, and we have a plan in place to create the depth we need afterwards,” she said. 

Assistant coach Zanele Mdodana added this tour is crucial in the build-up to the Commonwealth Games and the next Netball World Cup. 

“We are going to go full force into these Test matches with the objective of really sharpening ourselves, also gauging where we are compared to the professional teams in the world. 

“And we know the players are fully aware what our objectives are and how we're going to go about achieving them,” said Mdodana. 

“There’s Commonwealth Games next year, there's the World Cup in 2027, and everything we're doing is aligning to ultimately assist us in achieving our objectives,” she added. 

The Proteas will first take on New Zealand in a three-Test series on September 21, 24 and 28 in Auckland, Napier and Invercargill, before heading to Australia to face the 12-time world champions in a three-Test series on October 4, 8 and 12 in Bendigo, Wollongong and Adelaide. 

The Proteas went down to the Aussie Diamonds in a series at the start of 2023. Their last match played against New Zealand’s Silver Ferns was their memorable 48-all draw at the Netball World Cup on home soil in Cape Town, also in 2023. 

“We always, and we will always, go for the win even though we know that we're taking on the best in the world. If the standard is where it's supposed to be, then anything is possible,” said Van Dyk. 

Spar Proteas Team: 

Khanyisa Chawane (C), Nicholé Breedt, Entle Futshane, Kamogelo Maseko, Tarle Mathe, Owethu Ngubane, Refiloe Nketsa, Nozipho Ntshangase, Nicola Smith, Rolene Streutker, Elmeré van der Berg, Shadine van der Merwe, Juanita van Tonder, Jamie van Wyk, Sanmarie Visser