Hoërskool Generaal Hertzog in Emalahleni will be a hive of activity when the Mpumalanga provincial finals of the DSTV Schools Netball Challenge (DSNC) takes place. The competition will take place over two days, the 10th and 11th of June.
The DSNC is a partnership between Multichoice and South African Schools Netball launched in 2021 with the aim of unearthing future Spar Proteas stars while exposing players from both urban and rural areas to experience the sport at the same level.
Mpumalanga will host the Ubuntu and Botho streams competition separately. The Botho region, which hosts urban areas school, will be the first while Ubuntu will follow on the 23rd of July at Hoërskool Middelburg.
Six schools, three from the Ubuntu Stream and three from the Botho Stream, will progress to represent Mpumalanga in the nationals set for 8-9 August in Concordia, Johannesburg.
Unlike other provinces who use districts, Mpumalanga uses divisions to give more teams a chance in participating in the provincial round.
“We are trying a new set up with our divisions in our province. The divisions at this stage work out quite well and we gave opportunity to more schools to get to playoffs. This is a very positive thing because some of the schools, now for the first time, will get to play in the playoffs when they have never been to the playoffs. Now they have an opportunity to go further,” explains Secondary Schools Convenor, Sumari Herbst.
Participating schools
Hoërskool Middleburg, Hoërskool Nelspruit, Hoërskool Secunda, Hoërskool Tegnies Middleburg, Hoërskool Rob Ferreira, Hoërskool Pietretief, Hoërskool Tegnies Witbank, Hoërskool Ermelo, Kanonkop Hoërskool, Hoërskool Lydenburg, Hoërskool General Hertzog, Hoërskool Bergvlam, Hoërskool Delmas, Hoërskool Kriel, Curro Nelspruit, Hoërskool Standerton