If there will be one spectator cheering extra hard for the Madibaz on Monday when they face the Maties in Port Elizabeth, it will be injured centre-court player, Eloïse Webb.
A win with a bonus-point will earn her team a home semi-final. If they lose and NWU manage a victory over the Kovsies, it will be the end of the Madibaz season and Webb won’t have the chance to wear the dress again. It is her final year of studies. She’s playing in her fourth year of Varsity Netball.
The versatile Webb, who also plays rugby and cricket, injured her knee ligament in a provincial rugby match for Border last month. She plays centre and fullback.
“I unfortunately exacerbated the injury in a netball clash against Tuks on 27 August which has now side-lined me. I won’t be able to play on Monday, but should be ready for the semi-finals if I get chosen. So I hope my team could help provide me with another match to finish off my netball career. I’ll be cheering hard for them!” she said.
The 22 year-old who is only 1.65 tall, is in her final year of B.Ed Intermediate Phase.
Webb has had an extremely busy year. She represented the Springbok women’s sevens team in the Sevens World Series. The team also participated at the Commonwealth Games and in the World Cup.
“There was a time where I was away for a month and a half due to preparation in Stellenbosch and two tournaments after each other. It’s been quite hard and I struggled to keep all the balls in the air. I’m very grateful for my lecturers though for their support. I look forward to hopefully just play rugby next year without still having to worry about the studies. I can always go into teaching after that. I’ll miss the netball,” Webb said.
She made her debut for the national sevens team at the end of 2016 and has also played provincial cricket for Eastern Province previously, but according to her the cricket had to give way.
Webb said they changed a couple of things which contributed to their success up to now in the Varsity competition. “One of it is that we play for God and put Him first.”
* Another player in Varsity Netball with a rugby connection is Mpumi Mbonambi of UJ. Her older brother, Bongi, is currently one of the hookers in the Springbok squad. RG Snyman, one of the locks in the squad, is the older brother of Annerine who played Varsity Netball for Maties in 2016.
