All eyes will be fixed on Ekurhuleni in the 2024 Men’s Senior Netball National Championships.
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The team from the east of Gauteng will be looking to defend their title when the tournament takes to the courts at the Ellis Park Outdoor Courts from 26 to 30 September.
The competition annually sees teams from different districts from across the country go against each other to aim for the title of being the best men’s netball team.
This elite men’s competition will see 56 senior teams and 28 Under-23 sides compete in the four-day contest.
Ekurhuleni A coach, Judy Rathethe, says she is excited about the challenge her side is facing. Rathebe says perspectives about her side have changed since winning the title last April. She says teams who view them as underdogs this year are mistaken.
“We came as underdogs last year but finished the competition as champions. We are putting in the work to make sure that we keep the standard. Being a defending champion comes with all the possible pressure because the reason we are having the Championship is to become a champion. We are all fighting for that one trophy, that comes with pressure. Since I and some of the players in the team have the experience of being champions, we will instil the knowledge and share with everybody how to become a champion and what it means to defend a championship. Being a champion but defending the championship is another thing. The pressure is high but as a team, we are mentally ready to defend and become champions again,” says Rathebe.
“As a coach that would forever be my dream. I know I had a short-term dream to win the title. After winning the title I realised that if I could defend it that would mean a lot to me. It’s amazing that the team shares the same sentiments,” she explains.
“The competition is very intense. I mean, it’s two games a day and you’re playing against the most competitive teams possible in the league. There is no room to breathe in the A division, you’re playing today and then you’re playing the next day again. It is males (playing), and it is competitive all the time, there is no room for failure. They just want to win all the time. Their mission and end goal is winning the championship. They put their bodies on the line. It is highly competitive. I wish that the world could see how competitive it is and what it means for the teams to take part in the competition,” she says.
Rathebe understands that defending the title won’t be an easy task.
“The teams there are quite competitive. I know we will have a run-in against the West Rand and they gave us a hard time in the final last year. I think they will come into the tournament wanting to do better than in the final. But we cannot diminish the likes of Cape Town, King Cetshwayo, and Zululand who also have good players in their squad,” she explains.
Rathethe shares her excitement about the players who have been promoted from the region from the Under-23 side to the seniors. She says these players will bring excitement and energy to the team.
Njabulo Nekhavhambe, Nico Pieters, Sifiso Mbaza, and Siphiwe Madibeng will be competing in the senior team.
They were part of the Ekurhuleni Under-23 team that won silver last year.
“The team has changed slightly from the one that won the title last year. We have promoted players from the Under-23 side for this year’s tournament. Some of these players displayed incredible performances this year already including at the USSA Netball Championships in July. We saw Njabulo doing well there, and he was even named the overall player of the tournament. We are excited to see what these players will add to the senior team,” she says.
The Championships are also a platform for national team coaches and selectors to pick players for the respective teams.
Shane Labuschagne, Nekhavhambe, and Pieters have already been shortlisted for South Africa’s Fast5 team.
This year’s FAST5 Netball World Series will take place from 9 to 10 November at the Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch.
Rathebe says she hopes her players will attract the eyes of the national selectors for spots in the Fast5, Puma Proteas, and Under-23 sides.
“This is a good opportunity for players to be spotted for the national team. Last year we had several players being picked and I am hoping to see more players getting national team call ups after the end of the competition,” she says.
Men’s netball has been on the rise in recent years.
In 2022 the Pumas competed outside of the continent for the first time, the Fast5 side also had a taste on a big stage and this year USSA launched the male division of the Championships.