Johannesburg stun Tshwane to lift national netball title

They had to fight for it, but Johannesburg closed out a stunning performance on Saturday to win the SA title, beating Tshwane 24-23 in the final of the Spar National Netball Championships in Potchefstroom.

Though they took the early lead, holding a 6-4 advantage at the end of the first quarter, Johannesburg did not have it all their own way, with Tshwane inching ahead in the second period.

While they were always within touch, however, Tshwane struggled to take control and ultimately missed out on their fourth title in five years.

“I’m very proud. This is a young team – not one of the players is older than 25 – and to be able to come into a final and win against some very experienced players I thought was really good,” said Johannesburg coach Elsje Jordaan.

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“We almost lost it there at the end. Tshwane are great finishers and they always come back strong, so I’m very pleased with how they coped,” she added.

“My team played hard, with guts, and to hang on in the last few minutes was absolutely fantastic.”

Earlier, in the U-21 final, Tshwane beat hosts Dr Kenneth Kaunda 38-27 to lift the national age group trophy.