2016 – The Year of Possibilities for Netball
Netball SA has dubbed 2016 “The year of possibilities” and they will be doing whatever they possibly can to get fans involved in their matches.
Netball South Africa – NSA – has dubbed 2016 the “Year of Possibilities”, with a number of high profile developments that will drive netball towards its goal of becoming a fully professional code and the pinnacle of elite women’s sport.
Among the most significant developments are the expansion of the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League; the introduction of an international four-nations tournament and the enhancing of their relationship with top international coach Australian Norma Plummer, to consult on coaching in the country.
“We are very proud of where we’ve come from over the last three years, during which we have taken massive strides in raising the public and media profile of the sport both on and off the court,” said Netball SA president Mimi Mthethwa.
“We want to continue that growth in 2016 and beyond, as we continue towards our goal of creating a fully professional women’s sport.”
In 2016, the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League will be both bigger and more entertaining as it moves from its Gauteng base, where it was staged for the past two years, to two different cities.
In addition, the tournament will feature 10 teams in one division this year, instead of two divisions, and will run over the course of eight weeks instead of the five weeks of the previous two years.
The BFNPL will be played in two different venues, instead of one.
The first three weeks see the tightly-contested BFNPL taking place at the Heartfelt Arena, in Tshwane, the venue that helped NSA launch the successful Diamond Challenge in 2012.
The following five weeks, inclusive of semi-finals and finals, see the teams battling it out in Durban.
Internationally, the inaugural Four Nations (SANZEA) tournament will see South Africa locking horns with New Zealand, England and Australia, in August, this year.
The importance of regular international fixtures outside of the Netball World Cup and Commonwealth Games is recognised by the participating nations, who are united in their goal of developing a high-profile and regular international competition.
New Zealand and Australia will host the inaugural event in 2016, with the competition moving to South Africa and England, who will host the matches in early 2017.
NSA will also focus on their preparations ahead of the African Qualifiers, that will be held in Botswana later in the year, in the hope of qualifying for the u.21 World Championships, that will also be hosted by Botswana next year.
Plummer will continue to assist the SPAR Proteas, but her role will be enhanced to include her working with coaches across the country.
Netball SA will also introduce an u.17 category at the annual SPAR National Championships, to assist in identifying talented young players at an early age.
