Coach Elmarie Craig from Polokwane told the Herald that she was proud of her girls and the game they showcased on the netball court. “The team really dug deep in all the games they played to secure us a win. “Our defense was our strongest point as they overturned a lot of balls. “It is unfortunate that all the players are in Grade 12 and they will never play together again. Some will be playing for various universities,” she said.

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During the competition at Waterkloof High School in Pretoria, two Tzaneen girls were also selected to form part of the U/19 national team. Shammer Ngobeni and Reratilwe Letsoalo, both told the Herald that they are over the moon to be part of the squad which will play trials in December. Shammer, a student at Ben Vorster High school, was also named one of the Top 35 players in her division.

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She started playing netball at the age of eight at Nkowankowa Stadium and at 15 she was selected to play for the first team at Ben Vorster. Shammer added that she will continue playing netball at university, but the hardest decision for her at the moment is choosing where to study. Meanwhile, Reratilwe (from Tzaneen) who attends Mitchell House College in Polokwane, said that her selection is a dream come true.

“I can’t believe it’s been eight years since I started playing netball. “It’s great to see all the hard work pay off,” Reratilwe concluded.