Netball Club

In 2011 our first task as the Netball committee was organising Orientation Week to
recruit new players to join the Wits Netball club. With only 41 members registered in
2010, the committee was determined to increase those numbers by at least 10%
from last year.  We set up our table decorated in yellow and blue balloons, ribbons
and Netball kits on display to attract a lot of attention. Over 40 girls signed eagerly
and were willing to play netball at Wits from the first week. As of July 2011, we had
93 girls signed up with the Netball Club, over a 100% increase from 2010.

We started training a week after O-week in the last week of February, with our
senior players from previous years leading the first couple of training sessions
due to non-appointment of a coach at that early stage. Training was well executed
and the ladies really worked hard to get our fitness levels up to scratch in
preparation for the East Gauteng (Ekurhuleni) Netball League in Atlasville. With
over 70 girls at practice at once, the club registered 4 teams in the East Netball
league (Open A, B, U/21 and U/19) with our first games starting on 9 March 2011.
Coach Prof Chipeya was later appointed to coach the teams in the league. Bukeka
Makapela and Robyn Phillips were selected to represent the U21 Gauteng East
(Ekurhuleni) Provincial team that competed at the South African U/21 provincial
tournament in Rustenburg, 10 – 16 July 2011

On 4 - 8 July 2011, The Wits Netball Club sent a team to compete at the University
Sport South Africa (USSA) national Netball championship in Potchefstroom.
The team was depleted due to the tournament clashing with university exams,
thus some of our strong players could not attend. However the USSAs turned out
to be a great experience for all the players in attendance. Wits Netball was promoted
to A-league against the likes of University of Potchefstroom (PUKKE) and Stellenbosch
University (Matties), a very difficult test for us by far. However we pressed on, kept
our heads up high and remembered why we came - we came to prove to ourselves
why we love this game, and to fight and end the season off with a bang!!! We lost
four games and won one game against the University of Cape Town (UCT).
We look to improve this performance with better preparations, recruitment of more
talented players, and sending a stronger squad to this competition in 2012.

For those students that want to play Netball on a social level, the Wits Netball Club had an Internal Netball League (INL) every Monday nights at Dig Fields Netball courts (West Campus). Ran by our Sports Officer, in the absence of a Development Officer, the internal league consisted of 9 teams in total namely: Barnato Hall (Barnies), David Webster, Jubilee Hall (Jubes), Girton, Medhurst, Medics, Reith,  Esselen and Braamfontein Center (BC). The staff team, Bangani withdrew during the season.

The Wits INL came to an exciting end on Saturday, 27 August 2011. The Medics were crowned champions in the finals with a 14 - 11 win over Jubilee Hall. In the third place playoff match, which doubled as a West Campus derby, Webster beat Barnies 10 – 14 to secure bronze medals. Namene Amwele of the Medics was named Player of the Season, with Jubs’ Olwethu Twalo receiving the Players’ Player of the Season award. Khanyisile Khanyile (Barnies), Tumi Kgosi (Webster) and Tess Blignaut (Medics) were awarded Most Promising Player awards. The Barnies were named “Team of the Season” based on their excellent discipline and conduct throughout the season.

The Wits Netball Club starts its season the second week of university to give the students the opportunity to get used to student life. Registration takes place during Orientation week. The club practices twice a week on the Dig Fields, West Campus every Tuesdays and Thursday, from 18h00 to 20h00.

If you are interested in Netball at Wits and would like more information, contact club chairperson Novuyo Nkombane on 078 827 7222, or club secretary Keneilwe Manganya on Kinie43@gmail.com. The Sport Officer can be contacted on (011) 717 9415.