Players representation in Premier League teams prove Tuks’ netball depth
Netball players from Tuks will be in action in four of the participating teams this year in the National Premier League.
The coaches at TuksNetball must be doing something right as 29 of the club’s players will be in action during the National Premier League, which will take place in May and June this year.
The defending champions, Gauteng Jaguars, is again basically an all Tuks team, while ten of Tuks players are going to play for the Gauteng Golden Fireballs and one is playing for the Limpopo Baobabs.
The Gauteng Jaguars coach, Jenny van Dyk, and her players have set their sights on completing a hat trick of victories. The Free State Crinums is the only team so far who has been able to achieve this unique feat.
The statistics certainly favours the Jaguars to do so. Last year the Jaguars did not lose once while in 2017 the team won eight games on the trot. It means that they have been unbeaten in their previous 18 games.
Van Dyk is quietly confident of retaining the title.
“It is not going to be easy. No game in the Premier League is ever easy. However, I am in the lucky position that the core of the team remains intact. It ought to stand us to good stead since the players now believe in their abilities. It is a given that once you get a taste for winning the more, you want to do so,” said Van Dyk.
According to the highly successful coach, they managed to do some quality training at Camp Discovery.
“On quite a few days I only focused on one specific aspect of the game until the players managed to do what I expected from them. Another challenge was to ensure we are always able to lift the intensity of our play. It was also important to get the right combinations sorted,” Van Dyk explained.
One of the surprises is that the 35-year-old Chrisna van Zyl has been selected as goal shooter. When she was in her prime, she was a member of the Proteas team that competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and the 2011 World Netball Championships in Singapore. She has also participated in the 2010 and 2011 World Netball Series and represented the Proteas at the 2012 Quad-Series tournament. Van Zyl took a sabbatical to start a family.
There might be those who think that she is too old to make a comeback, but Van Dyk disagrees. According to her, Van Zyl is playing better than ever before. She is even of the opinion that Van Zyl might still be good enough to play for the Proteas again.
The Tuks players who will be in action during the National Premier League starting on 10 May are:
- Gauteng Jaguars: Chrisna van Zyl, Danielle van Zyl, Chantelle Swart, Anique Grobler, Precious Maseko, Marlize de Bruin, Lungile Mthembu, Lebogang Kekana, Jamie van Wyk, Jasmine Ziegelmeier, Juzelri Garbers, Akosua Mensah, Jani Bergh and Kaylynne Moore.
- SPAR Smileys Team: Erin Burger, Izette Griessel, Tshina Mdau, Renske Stoltz
- Gauteng Golden Fireballs: Venetia Grobler, Marna Claasen, Jeanette Vermeulen, Andile Tombeni, Nicole Amiras, Mbali Ntuli, Bianca Els, Tinita van Dyk, Linda Mouton and Jana Kok.
- Limpopo Baobabs: Tylana Williamson.
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