Netball stars around the world are wrapping up their final preparations ahead of the Vitality Netball World Cup 2023 (VNWC2023), which gets underway at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 28 July – 6 August – the first time on African soil.
The VNWC2023 has always been considered as being more than just about the city of Cape Town and instead one for all of Africa to share, with four of the 16 competing nations African; South Africa, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
One player who is relishing the prospect of performing in front of a home crowd if selected for the South African SPAR Proteas is Karla Pretorius – the world-renowned defender who claimed the Most Valuable Player accolade at the last Netball World Cup, Liverpool 2019.
Pretorius looks back with pride on the last Netball World Cup in 2019 when the Proteas enjoyed an impressive run to the semi-finals, where they very narrowly lost out on a place in the final to Australia. She is also thrilled with what a home Netball World Cup can do for the sport in South Africa.
The players selected to don the green and gold for South Africa during the 2023 Netball World Cup and represent the country are:
Bongiwe Msomi (capt); Karla Pretorius (VC); Khanyisa Chawane; Izette Griesel; Phumza Maweni; Lenize Potgieter; Nicola Smith; Jeante Strydom; Nichole Taljaard; Elmere van der Berg; Shadine van der Merwe, Ine-Mari Venter
Reserves: Owethu Ngubane; Refiloe Nketsa and Lefebre Rademan.
The team will meet again on the 14th of July 2023 in Cape Town for final training camp before the Netball World Cup.
As for what the SPAR Proteas can achieve at the Vitality Netball World Cup 2023, Pretorius’s response was short and to the point: “I definitely think we can end up on the podium.”
The Proteas will begin their campaign on 28 July against Wales, before also facing Sri Lanka and Jamaica in the first preliminary stage.
