The home team comfortably secured victories in both their opening matches, setting a strong tone for the tournament.

In their first game, Johannesburg faced eThekwini, a team newly promoted to the A section after competing in the B division last year. Despite some shooting inaccuracies, the defending champions outclassed their opponents, cruising to a 69–35 victory.

Mangaung A. Photo: Netball SA

Later, Johannesburg took on Tshwane in a Jukskei Derby. Expectations for a close contest quickly dissolved as Johannesburg stormed to a commanding 21–9 lead by the end of the first quarter. Although Tshwane improved throughout the match, even winning the final quarter by one goal, the early deficit proved insurmountable. Johannesburg secured a 63–42 win.

Johannesburg coach and former Proteas captain, Elsjé Jordaan, expressed satisfaction with her team’s performance, especially in their second game.
“I’m pleased overall. We improved in the second game, especially in converting opportunities and staying composed. The heat and physicality of the matches add to the challenge, so managing players effectively will be key to winning this tournament,” said Jordaan.

The Tshwane coach Erin Burger acknowledged the impact of missing players but remained optimistic about her team’s potential.

“It’s a new team with a lot to offer. The more they play together under pressure, the better they’ll perform. The heat and strategic substitutions will be critical as the tournament progresses,” said Burger.

Meanwhile, Cape Town and Cape Winelands were the other teams to remain undefeated on the first day. Cape Town claimed victories over Ekurhuleni (57–45) and Dr Kenneth Kaunda (51–47). Cape Winelands impressed with a thrilling 51–46 win against last year’s runners-up, Mangaung, after defeating Nelson Mandela Bay 56–24 in their opener.

Cape Winelands’ coach Sasha-Lee Petersen commended her team for their resilience in the Mangaung match.

“I’m proud of the girls. We capitalised on defensive turnovers and stayed strong in the latter stages of the game. It was a close contest, but the small details made the difference,” said Petersen.

In the Under-21 tournament, defending champions Tshwane also started strongly with victories over Cape Town (46–36) and Mangaung (66–38).

A Section results on Day 1:

Cape Town 57–45 Ekurhuleni

Cape Winelands 56–24 Nelson Mandela Bay

Johannesburg 69–35 eThekwini

Tshwane 48–42 SA U21

Mangaung 63–27 Ekurhuleni

Dr. Kenneth Kaunda 51–30 Nelson Mandela Bay

eThekwini 44–53 SA U21

Johannesburg 63–42 Tshwane

Mangaung 46–51 Cape Winelands

Dr. Kenneth Kaunda 47–51 Cape Town

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg