Continuing a long tradition of a sister paring in Varsity Netball this year is the Vermeulen siblings of UWC.
Jami (21) and Joy (19) are both studying B.Ed Foundation Phase. Jami plays goal attack and wing attack while her younger sister wing attack. Jami, who previously played in the 2017 season, has already made an impact in the first two rounds this year, scooping the Wimpy Moment Maker award in both her team’s matches to date – the 49-44 win over TUT and 38-60 reverse against NWU. Joy is yet to feature in her debut campaign.
Interestingly, the Vermeulens attended the same school (De Kuilen High School in Cape Town) as the Petersen sisters. Sasha-Lee and Zhane Petersen represented Maties together in Varsity Netball in 2017 and 2018. Sasha-Lee – currently doing her Post Grad in Research & Management – remains a key member of the 2019 Maties squad as she showed by claiming the FNB Player of the Match award in their 47-16 Round 2 thumping of TUT.
Apart from the Vermeulens, the Retiefs at Kovsies, Gertriana and Ané, also come from the same household and claimed the 2018 title together – though neither has featured so far this campaign.
Know your Varsity Netball teams: Kovsies / Tuks / Madibaz / Maties / NWU / UJ / UWC / TUT
There has been a number of siblings in Varsity Netball over the years. The first was Karla Pretorius (née Mostert) and her younger sister Tanya. They were Kovsie teammates from 2013 to 2015. Tanya took over the captaincy from Karla in 2016.
At Maties there was Charmaine and Janneke Baard (they were a shooting combination) in 2017 and the half-sisters Megan Gossmann and Nicholé Taljaard (in 2017). Gossmann was the captain in 2017 and Taljaard is leading the team this year, and they’ve started with two straight wins.
In 2013, 2014 and 2016 Micaela and Simone Peters shared the court at UCT and in 2015 the Willemse sisters, Kara and Yolande were members of the Madibaz team.
By Ruan Bruwer
