Australasian netball tour key to Proteas' Commonwealth preparations

Spar Proteas captain Khanyisa Chawane says the Australasian tour will be the perfect start to prepare for next year’s Commonwealth Games.

South Africa will take on the top two sides in the world to mark the start of the 2025/2026 international season.

The Jenny van Dyk led side will first face second-ranked New Zealand in a three-test series from 21 to 28 September.

The team will then head to Australia, where they will take on the Origin Diamonds from 4 to 12 October.

The Proteas last faced the Silver Ferns at the 2023 Netball World Cup in a thrilling match that ended in a 48-48 draw that sent the Cape Town International Convention Centre into a frenzy.

The senior South African team last played against Australia towards the end of 2023 in a series led by former mentor Norma Plummer.

“It is a great opportunity for this group. At the beginning of the year, we were tested playing against Jamaica and England, now it’s taking it up a notch to play against the best in the world. We are looking forward to that. I know they are going to push us to our limits, but we are ready. We prepared really well. It’s great exposure and experience for the team. I think the league we have here at home doesn’t push us to that limit, so the exposure we get when we play at that level really forces the team to step up and perform well.

"Such series are the ones that prepare us for big tournaments like the Commonwealth Games and your World Cups. As the Commonwealth Games are coming up next year, this is great preparation for us, to see where we are as a team, but also to push ourselves and them while also gaining all the experience we need,” says Chawane following the unveiling of the new kit for the season, inspired by the 2023 Netball World Cup United Warrior kit.

THREE NEW FACES IN PROTEAS SQUAD

The 2026 edition of the Commonwealth Games will take place in Scotland, the competition will be held in Glasgow for the fourth time, with 2014 being the last year that the country hosted.

The Proteas will be hoping to improve on their standings in the tournament after only managing to finish sixth in the 2022 edition behind Uganda.

“I am really looking forward to a great Commonwealth Games and just the whole international season in 2026,” she says.

Van Dyk and her assistant, Zanele Mdodana, announced the 2025/2026 squad that included three new players.

Entle Futshane, Nozipho Ntshangase and Juanita van Tonder all received their first senior national call-ups and will likely make their debuts during the two test series or other international tournaments later in the year, including the Africa Netball Cup.

The squad also sees the return of experienced defender Shadine van der Merwe, after a two-year absence from the senior national team, while Ine-Mari Venter, Ané Retief and Jeante Strydom will miss out on the tours to Australia and New Zealand.

Chawane says the trio was quite impressive during the team’s first camp.

“They actually impressed a lot of us because of the type of systems that our coaches run within the team. They were able to slot in very well. It showed that they had good preparations coming from their districts and provinces. When they were selected in the team, they were on point and they were able to fit in very well in the team. They were able to fit those gaps really well. Of course, we still need to work hard on making sure the combinations within the team work very well for us to be competitive,” she explains.

STILL WORKING ON COMBINATIONS 

The Proteas were taken through their paces in a training camp following the finalisation of the new team.

The coaches have also continued to have virtual training with the players as the time to head down to Australasia edges closer.

The skipper says the camp was successful, although the team still has to work on their combinations.

“The camp was amazing. I must say, though, that the trials we had were difficult. A lot of the players performed well in the TNL (Telkom Netball League), so the players that were selected to come to the trials really made it hard for the coaches to select. But after the selection, I believe that the players who have been chosen are the ones who are needed in the squad. The camp was amazing, it had a great atmosphere and great camaraderie. We are all working hard because we know what is coming our way,” she explains.