Jewels relish tri-nations test

THE Desert Jewels anticipate a thorough examination of their credentials when facing two of Africa’s top sides at the 2021 Spar Netball Challenge in Cape Town, starting today.

The 16-match tri-nations, which ends on 31 March, is among a series of tournaments which form part of South Africa’s preparations for the 2023 Netball World Cup, which will also be hosted in the Mother City.

This morning the Jewels will face South Africa’s Proteas, who will also play Uganda’s She Cranes later today.

Ranked fifth in the world, South Africa will start as favourites, but should not expect "improving" Namibia to roll over, said head coach Julene Meyer.

The Proteas have won all ten previous meetings between the two nations with an average score of 66-23. Meyer knows that bridging that gap will be a measure of how far Namibia has progressed since their last clash in 2018.

Winning the M1 Nations Cup in Singapore as underdogs in 2019 was a step in the right direction.

“Namibia is ranked number 23 in the world, and we’re playing against number five and seven [globally]. We really look forward to measuring ourselves against them,” Meyer said at yesterday’s pre-match press conference.

“I think when we put the right combination on board, we will provide discomfort, so we look forward to the challenge. This is about getting exposure on the international level, not just about the ability of the players,” she continued.

“I think its a wonderful opportunity for the Namibian side being here. It’s a critical opportunity for us to improve our rankings in our quest, firstly, to qualify for the Commonwealth Games and then ultimately on our journey to qualification for Cape Town 2023.”

Without their foreign-based stars, SA can also expect tough opposition against Uganda especially, with the East Africans rated seventh internationally.

“We are good to go. We are ready to go,” said She Cranes captain Stella Oyella.

The Proteas under-21s have been invited to participate to ensure they get game time under their belts ahead of their upcoming Youth World Championship in Fiji at the end of the year. South Africa’s B-team, The President’s XII, will also participate in the tournament.

“This is another opportunity for us to give the Proteas team international exposure and ranking games. We are thankful for that at this difficult time in the world. We respect the Uganda She Cranes and Namibia’s team and know they will be tough opponents,” said Proteas head coach Dorette Badenhorst.

“The more we can play, and the more experience the team can get, the better they will become. Therefore, it is also important to give more players opportunity through the President’s XII team,” she added.

The tournament is being played under strict health and safety regulations, in a bio bubble, with all teams, including technical teams, umpires, support staff, media and local organising committee members tested prior to entering the bubble.

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