Proteas coach Badenhorst satisfied with Quad Series effort

Experimenting with various combinations in the build-up to this year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the 2023 Netball World Cup on home soil, coach Dorette Badenhorst said she was delighted with the improvement of the Proteas squad throughout the Quad Series tournament in London.

Though they did not win a match against the top three teams in the world, South Africa closed out their Quad Series campaign in style on Wednesday night, narrowly missing out on the bronze medal after a 51-50 defeat to world champions New Zealand in the third-place playoff.

Earlier, in the round robin stage of the competition, the Proteas lost to hosts England (71-47), world No 1 Australia (60-40) and New Zealand (54-43), with the national squad raising their performance level in each game they played.

In their playoff match against the Silver Ferns, the Proteas were one point ahead going into the final quarter, and despite their loss, the result again proved the SA team could punch above their weight and had the potential to break their lengthy podium drought at major international championships.

“I’m really proud of them,” Badenhorst said after the playoff clash.

“They played with a lot of guts and with heart. They put their bodies on the court and I think they really had a great game.”

Badenhorst, however, admitted some of the players in the squad had indicated they were unlikely to make the grade at the highest level of the game, and there were still chances for new players to be included in the national setup ahead of the Commonwealth Games in July.

“There are definitely opportunities for some players to come into the team. We still need combinations that will work for us in certain positions,” she said.

“In certain positions we’re 90% settled, but I will definitely try one or two new players in others.”