The SPAR Proteas are set to face off against the Silver Ferns in the Taini Jamison Trophy 2025 in a three-match thriller. The last time the two nations clashed was during the 2023 Netball World Cup, a match that ended in a 48-all draw.
Coach Jenny van Dyk and her charges arrived in Auckland on Sunday evening, and the team almost immediately got down to business, with a few training sessions already under their belt.
Van Dyk selected a 15-player team for this series and confirmed that the side is ready to take to the court, perform well and make the nation proud – including the new players who have been called up.
Talk around the opposition camp – following the dismissal of their coach – has become extra motivation for the SPAR Proteas, as it is not yet clear how this news will affect the Silver Ferns.
“We will not allow the news from the Silver Ferns to make us relax because this could go either way – the team might be stronger and want to prove that they can do it without their long-serving coach, or they might fall apart. Regardless of what they do, it is important for us to stick to our game plan and ensure that we execute it accordingly. We have assembled a team that we believe is good enough to compete. Ours is to make sure that we show up, are prepared and do well,” – Coach Jenny van Dyk, SPAR Proteas Head Coach.
The SPAR Proteas will be looking for only their second win against their opponents, with New Zealand enjoying 36 victories in 38 matches, one draw and suffering just a solitary loss. Considering the rivalry between the two countries across various sporting codes, a win in Auckland for South Africa would be one Coach Jenny would savour most.
From a playing personnel point of view, Shadine van der Merwe makes a welcome return to the team for the first time since the 2023 Netball World Cup and will step into the vice-captaincy role. Nozipho Ntshangase also makes her return to the side, while Entle Futshane and Juanita van Tonder are the only uncapped players.
The SPAR Proteas go into this series as underdogs. However, Coach Jenny understands that this tag also comes with its own pressures:
“We are seen as underdogs, granted, but that does not mean that we should not aim for a win. We approach every game with the seriousness it deserves, and we always aim for a win. Now the most pressure is on the hosts, because they are at home and want to make their fans happy – but we also need to step up,” concluded Van Dyk.
For the first time in a while, South Africa has a total of eight players in the current squad playing their netball overseas. The coaching duo of Van Dyk and Mdodana believe that this bodes well for the team. These players bring a wealth of knowledge and experience into the squad, and knowledge-sharing makes the Proteas a formidable unit, while also giving the coaches a good headache in terms of selection.
Fixtures:
Sunday, 21 September – 09:40am
New Zealand v South Africa
Wednesday, 24 September 09:40am
New Zealand v South Africa
Sunday, 28 September 09:40am
New Zealand v South Africa
All matches will be televised on SuperSport (channel to be confirmed)
