SA stars navigate NSL2.0 with mixed fortunes

South Africans competing in the Netball Super League had a mixed bag of results this season. England Netball launched the NSL2.0, an attempt to fast-track netball into a fully professional sport.

Although the new league required teams to trim down their squads from 15 players to 10, South Africa was able to export a remarkable eight players to the competition.

The league has reduced the number of teams from 10 to eight, as compared to the previous season, in an attempt to improve quality and competitiveness. Strathclyde Sirens and Severn Stars were some of the teams that were dropped from the competition.

These sides were home to Owethu Ngubane, Sigi Burger, and Lefebre Rademan. Surrey Storm and Team Bath were the other teams that left the tournament. The league welcomed newcomers Birmingham Panthers and Nottingham Forest into the competition to complete the 10 teams.

Nichole Breedt’s London Pulse won their first NSL title after beating 2024 champions Loughborough Lightning with a 53-45 victory. Pulse debuted in 2019 and finished last on the league table, but by 2022, the team reached the play-offs.

Sam Bird was able to lead the team to its first Grand Final in 2023, but they lost to a much experienced Lightning outfit. The Vic Burgess-led side was playing in their fifth consecutive Grand Final, where Pulse narrowly denied them three titles in a row.

Nicholé Breedt - London Pulse

Pulse started the season on high, bagging the inaugural Netball Super Cup. The cup competition was the scene setter ahead of the start of the season. Breedt made 13 appearances for her side and was able to net 97 goals.

Pulse finished the regular season at the top of the table and cruised through to the final, where they earned their first gold.

Khanyisa Chawane - Cardiff Dragons

The centre court player featured in all the Dragons' matches this season, her second full season in the competition. Her side did, however, finish at the bottom of the table with only two victories.

“We might not have ended where we would have liked to, or with more games than last season. If you were to compare the two seasons, you would think we didn’t do much or well, but the dynamics mattered. Hopefully, going into the next season, we can remain the same (team) and we can build from there,” says Chawane.

Shadine van der Merwe - Loughborough Lightning

Lightning are home to goal defence Shadine van der Merwe. The three-time champions are van der Merwe’s second home in the league after joining the team this season from Manchester Thunder, where she had previously won a gold medal in the 2022 season.

Although her side made it to the final, they came short and only managed to walk away with the silver medal.

Rolene Streutker - Nottingham Forrest

Streukter had a stellar time in her first season in the NSL. She moved to the United Kingdom after having spent the 2024 season with the Melbourne Mavericks in Australia, they were the new side in the Suncorp Super League. The Mavericks finished in fifth place, missing out on the finals in their debut year.

Streukter was named the Players' Player of the Season, Gilbert Top Scorer, and Soft and Gentle Super Shooter in her debut year. She scored a total of 598 goals this season to earn the Top Scorer Award.

She also made it into the All-Star starting seven team of the season. The former Free State Crinums player missed the top four, with her side having finished fifth this season after raking in only 22 points from seven wins in 14 matches.

Elmere van der Berg - Manchester Thunder

Van der Berg made another great showing in her second season in the NSL. She was one of the regulars for the Manchester side. She played a total of 14 games. In her second season, she topped the league's charts and scored 496 goals at the end of the regular season.

Nicola Smith - Manchester Thunder

Smith’s start to the season was late. The Proteas goal keeper and goal defence joined the league in full swing. The lanky defender had broken her arm during the Margaret Beckford Sunshine Series against Jamaica. Fellow South African Ané Retief was named as the temporary replacement player for Smith.

After defeating London Mavericks in the minor semifinal, they were not able to proceed to the Grand Final after they lost to the eventual silver medallists in the Preliminary Final.

Sigi Burger - Birmingham Panthers

Although Burger was unable to finish the season due to a knee injury sustained during the London Pulse, she made it into the top seven shooters after achieving a 93 per cent shooting per centage this season.

Burger was lucky not to have damaged her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) however, she sustained an injury to her medial collateral ligament (MCL), which will require rest

and rehabilitation. Antonia Mitchell came in as Burger's replacement for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, the transfer window for the 2026 season is open and clubs can refresh their squads from 7 July to 29 August 2025. All Clubs must have signed and registered their ten NSL players with the League by the close of the window. The teams can reveal and announce their squads until 5 September.