The Spar South African Under-21 netball team has a tough challenge in their opening match at the World Junior championships in Glasgow in August when they come up against defending champions Australia. South Africa has been drawn in Group A, with Australia, Fiji, Israel and Namibia. New Zealand is the top seed in Group B, which includes Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Northern Ireland and Malta. Group C comprises Jamaica, Wales, Samoa, Scotland and the Cayman Islands, and Group D is made up of England, Barbados, Singapore, Papua New Guinea and the Republic of Ireland.
“We’re in quite a difficult group,” said Under-21 coach Dorette Badenhorst. “Australia won the last junior championships and Fiji finished just behind us. We have to beat either one of them, or both, if we want to qualify for the Top Eight.” Badenhorst said that while meeting Australia in their opening match would be difficult, she believed the Junior Proteas would be up to the challenge. “We are now training with the Spar Proteas, and playing against the top players in the country will help the Under-21s get ready to meet Australia.
We played the Proteas during our training camp in Potchefstroom last week, and while the Under 21s were a bit over-awed in the first two quarters, they came back strongly in the third and fourth quarters. I believe we have it in us to perform well.”
Badenhorst said the extension of Spar’s sponsorship to the Under-21 team meant that the Junior Proteas would be better prepared for the World Junior Championships. The Junior Proteas will also be playing in a test series in May as preparation for their tour to Glasgow. – Netball SA
