PAARL Girls, the defending Western Cape DSTV Netball Challenge champions will be back to defend their title and to secure participation in national play-offs set to take place at the Hoërskool Florida in Roodepoort next month.
This year’s provincial play-offs see 15 teams grouped in three groups consisting of five teams each being staged at the De Kuilen High School in Kuilsriver, Cape Town on Saturday 7 June.
The tournament which has become a highlight on the girls’ sports calendar over the past four years, is a partnership between Multichoice, a leading entertainment platform in Africa, South African Schools Netball, and the Department of Basic Education in a bid to provide a stage for players from both urban and rural areas to experience and participate in a leading woman sport event.
Both Paarl Girls and Paarl Gymnasium who contested the 2023 Western Cape final at the Parel Vallei in Somerset West, represent the province at the 2023 national finals. As the Cape runners-up, Paarl Gymnasium caused a bit of a stir when they reached the national finals. They however lost in the final against Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool.
Paarl Girls is grouped alongside Bredasdorp, Hillcrest, Stellenberg and Vredendal in Pool B and must be favourites to advance to the finals.
The Paarl Gymnasium will be competing in Pool C along with Jan van Riebeeck, Manzomthombo, Outeniqua from George and Weston who will be representing the West Coast at the day long event.
Pool A consists of Bardale, Desmond Tutu, Durbanville, La Rochelle and Punt from Mossel Bay.