DStv Schools Netball Challenge back in action

Netball fans are in for a treat next weekend as things heat up in the DStv Schools Netball Challenge.

On 10 and 11 September, five provinces will host their provincial finals and select teams to attend the national finals to be held in Gauteng from 23 – 26 September. The tournament resumed on 1 August after the Covid-19 school sports suspension was lifted.

Four provinces – Free State, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo – have all completed their provincial finals and are now awaiting the national play-offs.

Fixtures for the upcoming provincial play-offs are as follows:

PROVINCE DATE VENUE

North West - 11 September Hoërskool Bergsig
Gauteng - 11 September EG Jansen
Eastern Cape - 11 September Hudson Park High School
Western Cape - 11 September Hermanus Primary School
Mpumalanga - 10 September Middelburg (school to be confirmed)

Launched by MultiChoice earlier this year, the DStv Schools Netball Challenge is an exciting sports initiative that shines a spotlight on young female athletes aged between 16 to 19-years old who play netball at secondary schools across the country. The tournament aims to elevate South African Schools Netball (SASN) through increased exposure and greater support, which will be crucial in the lead up to the 2023 Netball World Cup, hosted in Cape Town.

The Ubuntu Stream of the Netball Challenge focuses on schools in rural areas while the Batho Stream is for schools in urban areas.

Teams who qualified for the national finals are:

Free State
Batho – Wilgerevier Hoërskool
Ubuntu – Teto High School

Northern Cape
Batho – Hoërskool Diamantveld
Ubuntu - Wildeklawer

KwaZulu-Natal
Batho – Edendale Tech and Ashton College
Ubuntu – no schools participating due to the recent unrest in the province

Limpopo
Batho – Petersburg Hoërskool and Ben Vorster Hoërskool
Ubuntu – Makgofe High School and Hlabi Secondary School

During the school sports suspension, MultiChoice and SASN used the downtime to train coaches and coordinators and get them prepared for when the Netball Challenge resumed. Delivered by industry experts, the training was hosted online from 21 June to 3 July and enhanced the skills of coaches and coordinators. A total of 127 people participated in the capacity building training.

“We were thrilled when sporting activities resumed at schools because this meant continuing with the DStv Schools Netball Challenge and cementing our commitment to develop raw talent through real action – all while contributing to the building of long-lasting sports careers,” said Joe Heshu, MultiChoice Group Executive for Corporate Affairs.

The DStv Schools Netball Challenge aims to fuel the development of young talent and provide a platform for South Africa’s future stars to shine and get noticed by sporting scouts. It will also create a platform for young broadcasters to develop their skills in sports productions when games are televised.