Thrilling semi-finals expected in Varsity Cup Netball
The North-West University (NWU) Eagles takes on the University of Johannesburg (UJ) in the semi-finals of the Varsity Cup Netball tournament on 11 September.
The second semi-final match involves Stellenbosch University (Maties) and the University of Pretoria (Tuks). Maties is expected to tackle the match aggressively after losing to Tuks earlier in the season.
The Eagles will play at 17:00 in the Imbizo Hall on UJ’s Soweto Campus while Maties will try to protect their 2022 Varsity Netball crown at 19:00 in the Rembrandt Hall in Pretoria.
The Tuks team finished unbeaten and performed well during the pool games to secure the top spot on the log with 28 points.
The defending champions, Maties, has faced some defeats against UJ (32-35), NWU (40-50), and Tuks (60-38). Maties has reached the finals three times before winning their first title in 2022 after they defeated the Eagles in Stellenbosch.
Both Tuks and the Eagles already qualified for the knockout games before they faced each other in the last round of the round-robin stage. The game determined who would finish at the top of the log and have the advantage to host a home semi-final. Tuks started strong and put the Eagles under a lot of pressure as they scored 20 goals in the first quarter to lead 20-11.
The Proteas and NWU goal shooter, Elmeré van der Berg, was introduced after halftime in the place of Sunel Smit, but to no avail. The damage was done with Tuks having led the second quarter with 14 points, which made it hard for the Eagles to catch up.
With the help of the goal attacker, Caitlin du Plessis, the team tried closing the gap and scored 12 points to make it 51-34 in the third quarter, but it proved to be too little too late and Tuks defeated the Eagles 67-52.
Maties showed determination in front of their home crowd to book a place in the semi-finals after defeating the Nelson Mandela University (Madibaz). In a closely contested game, Maties beat the Madibaz 62-31.
In the sixth round, the Orange Army defeated Maties in Stellenbosch. UJ faced UWC in the final round to determine where it will finish on the log. The Proteas goal attack, Owethu Ngubane, and goal shooter, Muhluri Hlatshwayo, led UJ’s strong offensive, to overpower the UWC defence and win the match with 70-40.
In round one, NWU faced the UWC, setting the tone for the team’s campaign in the tournament. NWU emerged triumphant with an impressive score of 51-36.
The second round proved to be another thrilling encounter as NWU clashed with UJ. Although a slow start to the game, both teams refused to back down. NWU displayed resilience and emerged victorious with a final score of 47-43.
In round three, the NWU faced the defending champions, Maties, in a repeat of last year’s final. Du Plessis got in good scoring positions and scored 6 goals for the Eagles to lead 32-25 by the end of the third quarter. Smit linked up well with her to win the match 50-40.
As round four unfolded, the NWU faced the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), who has been playing in the tournament for the first time.
The Eagles had a strong start, taking the lead by the end of the first quarter (11-7). In the second quarter, NWU team found its rhythm and extended its lead, heading into halftime with a comfortable advantage. However, it was in the fourth quarter that NWU showcased the team’s attacking capabilities, capitalising on the power play to further their lead to end the match 59-26.
In round five, the Eagles played against Kovsies. The women from Potchefstroom had a good start, comfortably leading Kovsies after the first quarter with 20-6. Despite their efforts, the players of NWU maintained the team’s lead ending the match 43-36.
Madibaz faced off against NWU in round six and the Eagles was determined to surpass Tuks at the top of the standings. They dominated possession in the first quarter scoring 15 goals to establish a 10-point lead.
Despite the efforts of Madibaz, the NWU showed determination and entered halftime with a commanding 36-11 lead. NWU’s ability to control the game played a key role in their comfortable victory over Madibaz. NWU won the match 77-30.
