Nelson Mandela University was once one of the most feared and respected netball institutions in the country, but after a few seasons of title drought, it is safe to say they are climbing the ladder to where they belong on the Varsity Netball rankings – at the top.
The new-look Madibaz squad are high in confidence after taking down UWC (61-41) and VUT (72-36) in the first two games of this year’s Varsity Netball tournament. For some this might come as a surprise, but surely not for the team who has been training since February.
“This group was selected in February,” says Coach Lana Krige. “Mondays are fitness, cross training or footwork sessions with Stephen, on Tuesday we are in the gym with Lee Pote, Wednesday’s the players run (on their own) or attend a skill session, Thursday and Friday are court-work and individual sessions with me, and Saturdays are dedicated to gym or running sessions.”
It’s been three years that Krige has been in charge of NMU Netball and based on the type of netball they are playing this season, they are aiming for a spot among the crème de la crème of SA Netball.
“We want to be in the top 4.” But it doesn’t stop there, they have long term plans. “At NMU we want players that want to grow as players and people. We have all been given certain gifts and we want to use netball to get our players to first discover their greatness and then use it for the benefit of others. NMU is about growing and changing lives.”
On Monday Krige’s team head to Pretoria to play their first away game against the defending champions, Tuks. The University of Pretoria side are still dealing with the defeats handed out by NWU and Kovsies in the first two games, but the question now is: can Madibaz make it three in a row?
“The UWC and VUT wins have not changed our approach to the competition. We are very excited to measure our improvement against Tuks.”
Win or lose on Monday, we can see something special is happening in Port Elizabeth, and it is because of the team’s holistic approach to the sport.
“We have a typical South African rainbow at NMU. Xhosa, Sotho, Zulu, Afrikaans, English…each bringing their own strengths. We try to accommodate each person’s uniqueness, and we are committed to seeing the beauty in each other.”
By Reginald Hufkie
