Tuks hope that all their planning and conditioning work over the past year will help them to defend the Varsity Netball title they won in 2019.
The 2021 tournament is set to take place from 21-30 August in a bio-bubble at Stellenbosch University’s Coetzenburg Indoor Centre. All of the matches will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Tuks coach Jenny van Dyk, known for her attention to detail, believes if you add all the one-percenters together, it could make a difference, even if it is just one goal.
‘Things like the detail of planning, how you prepare, how you recover, what you eat and how you function as a team,’ Van Dyk explains.
‘When the matches start it will show what conditioning work the players have done in the past year and what teams’ planning has been like.’
Van Dyk admits the amount of netball action in such a short period of time will have an effect on the intensity of matches.
‘The competition will be very strong and not having a big group of players to work with will force coaches to think strategically about how to manage the load on the players and ensure they have enough left in the tank to perform when it matters the most.’
Tuks, who in 2019 became the first team to go through the competition undefeated, have lost the services of stalwarts such as Tshina Mdau, Marlize de Bruin, Lungile Mthembu, Akosua Mensah, Jasmine Ziegelmeier and Juzelri Garbers, but they have always been able to produce the next crop of players in the pipeline.
SQUAD (7 NEWCOMERS)
Mbali Ntuli, Chantelle Swart (captain), Danielle van Zyl, Tracey Mthunzi, Jamie van Wyk, Jani Bergh, Jeanette Vermeulen, Alice Kennon, Anja van Heerden, Blessing Sithole, Hope Sibiya, Melissa van Zyl, Melodine Jacobs, Sinethemba Maseko.
COACHING STAFF
Coach: Jenny van Dyk
Team manager: Lifalethu Khumalo
PLAYER TO WATCH
Jamie van Wyk. In 2019, the then-18-year-old goal defender was named as both the best U19 and U21 netballer in the country. She made her Tuks debut before her 19th birthday and went on to play for the national U21 team in 2019, 2020 and 2021. In last year’s Telkom Netball League final, Van Wyk was named the Player of the Match.
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TEAM RECORDS
Previous performances: 2019 – 1st; 2018 – 2nd; 2017 – 1st; 2016 – 2nd; 2015 – 4th; 2014 – 2nd; 2013 – 4th
Biggest win: 82 goals (110-28 vs VUT, 2018)
Most goals scored: 110 (110-28 vs VUT, 2018)
Least goals conceded: 10 (77-10 vs TUT, 2019)
Most consecutive wins: 9 (2019)
By Ruan Bruwer
