Spar Proteas star Rolene Streutker is looking to make an impression in her inaugural season in the United Kingdom.
Streutker is only one of the eight South Africans playing in the first season of the Netball Super League 2.0.
The competition is England Netball’s attempt to fast-track netball into a fully professional sport.
The league has reduced the teams to eight from 10 from the previous seasons, this is an effort to improve quality and competitiveness.
The NSL2.0 has also reduced the squads from 15 to 10 players.
This has also affected the number of export players allowed in each team.
The goal shooter is part of new side Nottingham Forest, who are hoping to put up a competition for the season that kicks off on Friday.
Forrest will take on London Pulse in their opening game of the season.
Pulse, where Nichole Breedt plays, were crowned the inaugural Netball Super Cup champions over the weekend.
The cup competition is the appetiser to set the tone for the new season.
Forest, along with Birmingham Panthers, are the two new franchises in the league.
UNKNOWN FACTOR
The goal shooter says she has been adjusting well in the team.
Streukter reckons that having Forest being an unknown team makes the journey ahead exciting not only just for them but also for the whole league as well.
“Training is going really well, the connections are getting better with every training. It is fun, to be honest. All the players get along very well.
It is nice to stamp your own mark and having to create your own culture (in the league) and not get into something that is already there. It is fun to be unknown, all the other teams, the players, and the combinations are known and well analysed.
We are coming in and no one knows what to expect. I feel like we also don’t know what to expect as we are still figuring out where our limits lie. We are still building and growing,” explains Streukter.
The former Free State Crinums player is hopeful her side will make an impact in the league and is confident of what the team has been putting in so far.
“Any team’s goal is to win (the league), obviously. I know we are a new team and it might be a bit ambitious, but we have played a few pre-season matches and we have done quite well. We shocked a few people and we might have shocked ourselves as well,” she says.
Streukter will enjoy her first season in the United Kingdom, following her 2024 season in the Suncorp Super League in Australia with the Melbourne Mavericks who were the new side.
The South African international played in three matches due to an ankle injury she suffered during the season.
“Australia was great. I enjoyed it very much. I learnt great things from the coach, Tracey Neville, a very good coach. Unfortunately, I did have an injury there which was not a great time. But I still learnt a lot there,” she says.
THE COST OF PLAYING PROFESSIONALLY
Streutker would like to stay in the sport for as long as possible, whether it’s at international or professional league levels. She, however, admits that playing the sport professionally does come with the weight of not seeing and being around her support structure for a while.
“Unfortunately for us, South Africa doesn’t have a professional league like Australia and New Zealand. I think anyone who wants to play professional netball will have to move overseas. Personally, my goal is to play until I am 40 (years old).
I will play as long as they want me. I will just keep playing, I really love netball. I would do anything to continue playing overseas even though it means six months away from family or the people you love,” she says.
She expresses that she likes the direction that the senior team is taking to becoming one of the best teams in the world.
“I feel we are coming to ourselves as a team. You can see our progression, how we are getting better with each game and how we are settling into combinations as well. What I like about coach Jenny (van Dyk) is that she has a plan that she set up from day one.
She keep remind us what we are working towards. I think that is good for keeping perspective when times are tough or things are not going our way. I think we are doing well and I am enjoying the direction we are heading to,” she says.
MORE SOUTH AFRICANS IN ACTION IN THE NSL
Meanwhile Ané Retief will also get her taste of the NSL. She was named as the temporary replacement player for fellow Proteas player Nicola Smith who broke her arm early in the year during the Margaret Beckford Sunshine Series in January.
Retief joined the Manchester Thunder defensive circle and will cover for Smith until she recovers.
Spar Proteas captain Khanyisa Chawane will play for the Cardiff Dragons in her second successive season in the league.
As Shadine van der Merwe begins life in new colours with Loughborough Lightning from Thunder which where she left fellow South African Elmere van der Berg.