Action Sports Hillfox getting set for revitalising 2022

Hopeful of a return to the peak of their powers, the Action Sport arena at Hillfox Value Centre is gearing up for a big 2022.

Home of Western Gauteng district and the Hillfox Hornets, the Action franchise was purchased by Graeme Hare in 1999 when it was still based at the old Horizon View Shopping Centre. Booted from the new development, Graeme found refuge at Hillfox and will celebrate 12 years at the venue on February 12.

Blending a love for sport with a venue that offers braai and bar facilities, the Action arena is a labour of love. “Sport is a passion for me. I bought this franchise because I wanted to create a safe and enjoyable facility where people can have family-friendly social activities,” said Graeme. Rebuilding from the ground up in 2010, the umpire chairs, digital scoreboards and the bannister that separates the bar area and players section outside the netted courts are all that remained of the Horizon View venue.

Action Cricket is the sport most commonly associated with the arena, but soccer and especially netball feature prominently. Cricket and netball leagues begin in February and all three sports have junior coaching academies for skills development, no matter the weather. The netball section has been increasingly popular with young girls who were shut out of school sport due to government restrictions on events.

This surge has bolstered the already exemplary talent pool for the Western Gauteng Action district who are preparing for the upcoming Action Netball inter-provincial tournament. The junior sections of the inter-provincials will be held at Hillfox in two batches, with the U/12, U/13, U/14 and U/15 girls playing from March 19 to 23. Thereafter, the U/15, U/16 and U/17 women, and the U/16, U/17 and U/19 mixed teams play from March 31 to April 4.

Western Gauteng has produced a long list of accolades and distinguished representatives, including national team representative, René Blok. One of the senior coaches at the arena, René has taken teams to championships in Australia and New Zealand, and was part of the first team to beat Australia in a major tournament final. “The game is much faster, as the only difference is that the ball never goes out,” said René, whose Action teams are affiliated with Netball South Africa and compete in traditional netball leagues.

The arena has also hosted the Action Cricket World Cup, and teams from the arena have picked up a long list of national titles over the years. “There really is something for everyone. We have whole families playing here – the fathers play cricket, the moms play netball, and the kids play them all,” added Graeme. For all ages and any occasion, all one needs to do is get inside the nets.