IMAGES: Courtesy SA Netball, De Tyger Netball Club

De Tyger Netball Club’s historic triumph over Rising Stars at the Twizza National Netball Club Championships in Limpopo last weekend is more than just a victory in a sporting competition – it’s a message of hope for many Cape Town netball players.

 De Tyger Netball Club’s 36-24 win over Rising Stars in their  backyard on Sunday marked the first time a Cape Town team triumphed at the Twizza National Netball Club Championships. But the historic win in Limpopo last weekend was more than just a victory in a sporting competition.

 “Our victory at the Twizza National Netball Club Championships brings a message of hope to every player in our community who has higher aspirations in netball, but has not yet made it into a provincial team,” says De Tyger team captain, Maryke Theron. 

Theron attributes the Cape Town Netball Federation (CTNF) team’s victory to an exceptional and well-balanced team. 

“Our players were versatile and that allowed the coaching staff to experiment throughout the tournament until the perfect combinations were found. Our players were fit and well-conditioned, which allowed them to give 100% effort every match. And we had one player in our team that represented CTNF at U/21 level this year.”

The feeling in the team, she adds, is a mixture of disbelief and excitement. 

“The ladies worked so hard for the victory – and it was truly a team effort. From the coaches, management, support staff, bench players and players on court…everyone played their part to ensure the success of the team.”

Individual players from the team still managed to shine, however – as Lisa Vos was named as the Best Shooter of the Tournament and Lindsey-Ann Sparrow took home the Best Defender award.

Theron is impressed by how well the Twizza championships was organized, from district and provincial levels, and at the level of talent on display. 

“For the national leg of the tournament, we had to travel to Limpopo – which brought about extra challenges with regards to taking off from work and contributing financially to the travel expenses. However, as soon as we got to Polokwane and received our dresses, the jetlag was gone – and we were ready for action.”

And what action!

“We had the opportunity to play against the best clubs from the West Coast, Karoo, Overberg, Cape Winelands and Eden – top talent from across the country.” 

Having conquered the country, De Tyger will now turn their focus on their district finals, and will host a development tournament on Saturday (1 October 2022), which will bring the curtain on their successful 2022 netball season.

After that? 

 With Cape Town hosting the Netball World Cup next year, Theron believes more could be done to create hype and promote the event. 

“We need more than just the netball community to know about and support the World Cup,” she says. “And we need to show netballers that, if you continue to work hard, there will be other opportunities where you can showcase your talent and compete against the best clubs from across the country – and the world.”

Edited by Nicklaus Kruger