The premium netball tournament in South Africa has been expanded to 15 teams this year, and because of the two new teams, KwaZulu-Natal are no longer relegated to the B Division.

This is in order to make space for the two new teams in the competition that will be competing in the B Division. In turn the Eastern Cape Aloes have also been promoted to the A Division.

The Free State will have one of the new teams in the form of the Sonoblomo, while the other new team will be the Limpopo Lilies.

The Free State already boasts with the Crinums who are three-time champions, while the Baobabs are from Limpopo

The president of Netball SA, Cecilia Molokwane, confirmed that these two teams will play in the B Division.

“The addition of two more teams to the league can only mean one thing, and that is we are doing something right when it comes to growing the sport and making our domestic league more competitive.”

The first leg of the TNL will get under way on 27 April in Polokwane and will be played at the Ngoako Ramahlodi Sports Complex in Seshego. The second and final leg of the league will see games being played at the Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria between 2 June to 1 July.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport