With over 2500 High Schools having heeded the call to register for the third edition of the DStv Schools Netball Challenge (DSNC) earlier in the year, the tournament is now moving into the knockout stages with the Provincial Finals fast approaching.
Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal take to the courts this weekend (9 June 2023) as schools across the country gun for a spot in the national finals to be played in late July, just days before the Netball World Cup in Cape Town. All nine provincial finals will be streamed live on the SuperSport Schools App with a selection also broadcast live on SuperSport.
The third edition of the DSNC has thus far been one of the most successful school sports tournaments of the year, with over 30 000 schoolgirls participating weekly in the earlier rounds which include the cluster, region and district playoffs.
South African Schools Netball (SASN) president, Di Wolley believes that this year’s knockout stages will be much more exciting, primarily driven by the euphoria of the Netball World Cup.
“The registration figures of over 2500 schools are proof that the DStv Schools Netball Challenge is a prestigious and coveted tournament that all high schools want to be a part of. The earlier rounds of the competition have been going on well and the girls are now excited for the knockout stages and the prospects of advancing to the national finals. This is going to be a huge boost for netball in South Africa. DStv is huge and I think the kids are really excited about this year's competition because there are big prizes for them. It’s something that is going to be special for them,” says Woolley.
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. The competition is divided into two streams, Botho and Ubuntu, which offers an opportunity for the haves and have-nots to go to the top of the competition.
This partnership aims to unearth, nurture and support the next generation of Spar Proteas. It aims to give all High School girls across the country, whether it be in rural areas, local suburbs and townships, an equal opportunity to showcase their skills and get to contest in the national finals – a momentous national event that is broadcast live on SuperSport.
This initiative highlights MultiChoice’s commitment to not only giving students in disadvantaged schools greater opportunities, but empowering young girls who may not have
seen sports as a means to success. Our Here for Her campaign seeks to unearth more female talent as well as build female sports stars, this initiative aims at doing just that.
“At MultiChoice, we are committed to investing in the development of sport in Africa. This is a great opportunity for the schools to absorb as much as possible from people who have walked this path before and learn from them. The 2023 Netball World Cup fever is slowly gathering momentum in the country and through the DStv Schools Netball Challenge we want the fever to spread across the entire country and reach even the most remote areas. Girls from anywhere in South Africa who dream of one day representing the country in netball must know that they have the DStv Schools Netball Challenge as a platform to realising their dreams,” explained MultiChoice’s Executive Head for Corporate Affairs, Tumi Masekela.
The remainder of the provincial finals will be contested on the Youth Day weekend and will be streamed live on the SuperSport Schools App.
Qualifying schools from both the Ubuntu and Botho streams will represent their respective provinces at the National Finals on the 21 - 23 July to be hosted at Hoërskool Florida.