Women in Sport: The unsung heroine of the courts

Though she may not be lauded in the same way as the forwards up front who keep the scoreboard ticking over and the crowds on their feet, Proteas defender Shadine van der Merwe is satisfied being a grinder and sweeper at the back as she does the hard work for the national netball team.

Van der Merwe has shot through the ranks in recent years, but she started developing her talent from a young age after taking up the game in primary school.

Born and raised in Pretoria, the 1.79m wing defence dabbled in other sports in her youth, turning out for the national junior softball team and securing the bronze medal in the javelin throw at the 2010 SA Junior Track and Field Championships.

After settling down at the University of Pretoria, however, where she went on to earn a masters degree in education, Van der Merwe opted to concentrate on netball and she soon established herself as one of the best defenders in the country.

In 2012, at the age of 19, she was called up to the SA Under-21 team and the following year she turned out for the national senior side in the Fast5 format.

And while it seemed a step up to the Proteas squad was inevitable, her progress was temporarily stunted by a serious knee injury.

After making her Proteas debut in 2015, at the age of 22, she required surgery on a ruptured ACL and Van der Merwe was sidelined for some time while undergoing rehabilitation.

She bounced back, however, and by 2017 she had lifted every major domestic trophy on offer, after contributing to victorious teams at the national senior and student championships (Gauteng North), as well as the Premier League (Jaguars) and Varsity Cup (Tuks) tournaments.

“It took me over a year to overcome the fear,” Van der Merwe said of her comeback.

“But the best way is to get back on the court slowly and rebuild your self-confidence.”

Rewarded for her determination, she has since become one of the country’s few professional netball players.

Van der Merwe signed with Surrey Storm in 2018, turning out in the UK Superleague, and she penned a deal with the Adelaide Thunderbirds earlier this year, competing for the side in Australia’s Super League.

“For me, as a wing defence, I want to do the work so the goal defence and the goalkeeper look good,” Van der Merwe said after signing with the Thunderbirds.

“A lot of the time we don’t get acknowledgement, but if I can work hard on the body to eliminate the (opposition) wing attack, I’ll be happy with that.”

At the age of 27, Van der Merwe has cemented her place as a key member of the national squad, helping the SA team to fifth place at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and fourth position at the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool.

Earlier this month, in the Proteas’ 2-1 defeat to England in Cape Town, she was named Player of the Series.

Aside from her appearances on court, Van der Merwe is also growing as a coach, having guided various Gauteng junior and student teams in recent years, as she follows in the footsteps of her coach and mentor Jenny van Dyk.

And if all goes well, like Van Dyk, she will continue to make a significant contribution to the game while juggling multiple roles.

“Jenny van Dyk has been my strongest influence,” Van der Merwe told powerupnetball in a recent interview.

“She recognised me when nobody else did, and she taught me to grow as a player as well as a person.”

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