Nottingham – The SPAR Proteas have moved from the heat and vibe of Jamaica to a chilly Britain for the Vitality Netball Nations Cup against England, Uganda, and Malawi this weekend, and head coach Jenny van Dyk believes her players are ready for the new challenge.
“This tour has been a great opportunity to test our resilience and our mental fitness,” said Van Dyk.
“The change in climate is quite refreshing. We took steps on the journey from Jamaica to ensure that we did not suffer too much jet lag, like keeping the players awake at certain times.
‘It’s never going to be easy, but we need to be able to deal with these challenges if we want to play the best in the world,” she said.
Van Dyk said the Nations Cup was an important part of the team’s preparations for the Commonwealth Games next year.
“Our first match is against Uganda on Saturday, but we are also working on our second match, against England the next day (Sunday).
“We must be able to deal with the different styles of play. The African teams have their own style and so does England, and we need to be ready to play them all,“ said Van Dyk.
Assistant coach Zanele Mdodana, who was part of the last SPAR Proteas team to tour Jamaica in 2012, said there had been an incredible improvement in the way Jamaica played.
“Most of. their players play League netball in Australia, and this has made them stronger.
“We learnt so much from playing there, even though we lost all three matches, and this will help us in the Nations Cup.
“Our players are better because of this experience. I am excited to see the growth in the entire team.”
SPAR Proteas captain Khanyisa Chawane said the team was very excited about the challenge ahead.
“We haven’t had an opportunity like this since the World Cup in 2023. We want to take everything we learnt in Jamaica and implement it,” Chawane said.
She said the team would not be affected by the support for the England team.
“Nothing can compare to Jamaica – the vuvuzelas, the pot lids being banged, the general noise.
“We couldn’t hear the instructions from our coaches. But in England, the arenas are bigger, and the noise won’t be as intense,” Chawane said.
She said the team’s mindset of always wanting to win had not been affected by the losses to Jamaica.
“This team will always fight to the end.”
Debutant goalkeeper Syntiche Kabuya said she was excited but nervous to go out onto the court as a first-time SPAR Proteas player.
“When I got the call up to travel to England to replace Nicola Smith I was overwhelmed with pride and honour,” Kabuya said.
“I have worked very hard for this moment and as excited as I am I am also quite nervous as we are playing three top ten ranked teams and there is lots of expectations on our team doing well here in the United Kingdom.”
South Africa will play Uganda at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham at 17:00 (5 pm) (SAST) on Saturday.
This match will be followed by the match between England and Malawi.
On Sunday, Uganda will play Malawi at 16:00 (4 pm) and South Africa will play England at 18:00 (6 pm).
The final matches will; be played at the Copper Box Arena in London on 8 and 9 February 2025.
