Experience wins the day as defending netball champs dethroned

The Madibaz Ballerz, consisting of Mandela University alumnae, won the women’s A section in the Madibaz Netball Tournament at the weekend.

The experience of the Madibaz Ballerz proved decisive in lifting the title of the annual Madibaz Netball Tournament in Gqeberha over the weekend.

The team was packed with Mandela University alumnae who had previously represented Eastern Province and the Bay’s various district teams.

They defeated Madibaz 3 in the final of the two-day event to take the laurels in the A section, while double defending champions North-West University Eagles 1 were edged out into third.

All in all, the tournament – which is approaching its 30-year anniversary – provided a huge opportunity to Madibaz head coach Jeanie Steyn to assess her charges in the early part of the season.

Afterwards she was optimistic about the immediate future of the team, especially with a large contingent of first-years beginning to establish themselves ahead of the major competitions.

Steyn selected three equally-balanced teams (Madibaz 1, 2 and 3) from the high-performance squad to compete in the iconic event, which again attracted in excess of 70 teams from across the nation.

With Madibaz 2 consisting mostly of newcomers, on paper Madibaz 1 and 3 were the ones expected to make a serious run for the title.

“Our aim was to give players the experience of competing in new combinations and to help them build chemistry.

“While every team pushed for the best possible results, my key message was to focus on gaining valuable game time against strong opponents.”

Steyn emphasised the importance of the tournament in their annual preparations.

“It has been a cornerstone of our season for many years and, since NWU started participating in 2023, it has added even more value,” she said.

“It puts players under pressure, allowing us to assess how well they manage challenging situations.”

With a broad range of players getting match time, the coaching panel could evaluate individual strengths while identifying areas needing improving.

“There are definitely aspects we need to refine,” Steyn admitted.

The first six weeks of the high-performance programme focused on settling in, adjusting to each other and adapting to the demanding training schedule and coaching style.

Training objectives will now shift to honing technical skills and refining team combinations.

There was more than one reason for the mentor to be upbeat in the wake of the Madibaz tournament.

For one, there were strong performances by several first-years. This adds depth to the squad and keeps the established players on their toes.

The fact that many of the younger players blended in well with the senior squad was another.

“This is exciting,” Steyn, who already has one eye on the University Sports South Africa and Varsity Netball tournaments later in the year, said.

The former Madibaz star, who earnt national colours in the Fast5 format, is now in her second year as head coach and the transition has given her a fresh perspective.

The first year was a learning experience where she gained insight into the operations on and off the court.

Her biggest lesson had been “not to assume anything”, she said.

Now she wants to create a supportive and accountable environment where the players feel empowered to improve and grow as a team.

Before the USSAs at home from June 29 to July 4, seven of her squad will turn out in the Telkom National League, which starts on April 26.

FINAL RESULTS

Women

A section: 1 Madibaz Ballerz, 2 Madibaz 3, 3 NWU Eagles 1

B section: 1 Walter Sisulu University, 2 Madibaz 1

C section: 1 Seven X Netball Club, 2 Madibaz 2

D section: 1 Siyakhula, 2 Lovers Lane

Men

1 Falcons, 2 Ballerz