Hoërskool Rustenburg ran riot in their home ground to book their third DSTV Schools Netball Challenge (DSNC) national finals appearance. The Rusties used their home ground advantage to reign supreme in the North West qualifiers of the competition where 16 schools from around the province were vying for six available spots to represent the province.
The nations set for the 21 - 23 July to be hosted at Hoërskool Florida, Roodepoort.
The Rusties further stamped their authority as they were crowned the North West winners after they defeated Klerksdorp High School in the final after they fought fiercely against the inaugural national champions Potchfestroom Gimnasium in the semis.
The Gimmies were able to redeem themselves and booked the last remaining Botho spot.
The DSNC is in its third year and it is a partnership between Multichoice and South African Schools Netball, that offers a platform for players from all schools (urban and rural areas) to get to experience the sport on the same level. The competition starts from the district level up to the national. 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.
Kgaphamadi Secondary School booked their place in the national finals in a spectacular way. The Bosplaas school was trailing by two goals in the last quarter of their semifinal match against Iketsleesto Secondary School who looked sure they would win the game only for unforced errors and turnovers to let them down.
They won the match 25-24 in the last seconds of the game.
An emotional goal keeper Katlego Magole has stressed the importance for qualifying for the nationals for the second time .
“I don’t know how I feel. The round was so tough, but it feels amazing because it was a very tough round and we were able to cover up in the last moment. It feels so great, going to the nationals is a very great deal. I am so happy for the coaches that stood by us and helped us to stay consistent until the very last minute. It really means a lot. Their support has helped us to recover and gain the win. Netball is a sport that keeps our minds awake. We have been preparing for this for a very long time, losing wouldn’t have been something we were here for. This really means a lot,” says Magole.
Sempapa Secondary School and Iketsleesto will be making their debut at the national finals. They are the other two schools that have qualified to play in the Ubuntu national finals.
North West secondary schools convenor, Merinda du Preez says she is confident that the top schools will represent the province well.
“I think today was a huge success. All our teams pitched, all on time and the venue was prepared properly. The teams were working together to keep team and because we got information before time from DSTV we knew how to keep everything up to schedule. As normal, we have got high quality netball in North West. The teams that are highfliers all pitched and we are very proud of them,” says du Preez.