All roads lead to DSNC national finals

Hoërskool Florida in Roodepoort will be a hive of activity on 12 and 13 July as it hosts over 40 schools in the fourth edition of the DStv Schools Netball Challenge (DSNC) national finals.

The schools will be vying for the coveted crown of the best under-19 netball teams in the country. Only two schools will walk away with the title. The competition is divided into two streams, Botho and Ubuntu, which offer an opportunity for the haves and have-nots to go to the top of the competition. The DSNC is a partnership between MultiChoice and SA Schools Netball (SASN) and offers a platform for players from all schools (urban and rural areas) to get to experience the sport on the same level.

TWO-DAYS TO GO!

Hoërskool Florida in Roodepoort will host the highly anticipated DStv Schools Netball Challenge National Finals, bringing together over 40 schools for a thrilling competition.

We will crown the best Under-19 Netball teams in the country as Affies defends their… pic.twitter.com/A7uML6cwBn

— DStv Netball (@DStvNetball) July 10, 2024

There have been five winners since the challenge was launched in 2021. Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool Pretoria (Affies) are the defending champions in the Botho division while Hlabi Secondary School won the 2023 edition in the Ubuntu stream. Free State’s C&N Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje, Potchefstroom Gimnasium, and KwaZakhele High School are the only other schools that have lifted the trophy. Hlabi are the only side to have won the competition more than once.

Affies will have the opportunity to defend their crown while new champions will be crowned in the Ubuntu section following Hlabi’s elimination in the build-up to the nationals.

Players will want to put their best foot forward as the DSNC has become an important feeder for the sport in the country. Over the last few years, the competition has seen scouts from the national teams and universities attend the competition to look for talent. The likes of Renezia Andrews and Adri Carstens, who were silver medallists with Paarl Girls High School in 2022, were recruited for the Telkom Netball League. Andrews was also part of the Baby Proteas squad that won the Netball World Youth Cup Africa qualifiers.