Netball SA names squad for New Zealand and Australia Tests
Netball SA held trials over the weekend in Johannesburg ahead of selecting the team.
Netball South Africa announced on Monday, 11 August 2025, the SPAR Proteas squad that will travel to New Zealand and Australia to take on the two top-ranked sides in the world in September and October. Picture: Netball South Africa
JOHANNESBURG - Netball South Africa announced on Monday the team that will travel to New Zealand and Australia Tests.
The SPAR Proteas will first take on New Zealand in a three-Test series on 21, 24 and 28 September in Auckland, Napier and Invercargill, before heading to Australia to face the 12-time world champions in a three-Test series on 4, 8 and 12 October in Bendigo, Wollongong, and Adelaide.
Netball SA held trials over the weekend in Johannesburg ahead of selecting the team.
“This step was needed to give players a fair opportunity to compete for a position in the team, but also because the majority of our core group players play in the UK and other national leagues, so we needed to see all the identified players in combination with the top players before making the final decision,” said National coach of the SPAR Proteas Jenny van Dyk.
Boitumelo Mahloko is out injured, and Syntiche Kabuya is unavailable for selection, giving three new players, Entle Futshane, Nozipho Ntshangase, and Juanita van Tonderhave, who have been selected to join the squad for the first time.
“If you are going to take on the best in the world, you need players with experience, grit and a fierce, fighting spirit, and we believe within our core group that is exactly what we have” said van Dyk.
Midcourt dynamo Khanyisa Chawane will continue to captain the side, which also includes Kamogelo Maseko, the TNL Player of the Tournament Tarle Mathe and top scorer in the Netball Super League this season, Rolene Streutker.
“For this tour we are well aware of the fact that we don't have the exact depth we've envisioned in one or two key positions yet, but we have very versatile players within our core group that can get the job done for this tour, and we have a plan in place to create the depth we need afterwards,” said van Dyk.
Assistant coach Zanele Mdodana added that this tour is crucial in the build-up to both the Commonwealth Games and the next Netball World Cup.
“We are going to go full force into these Test matches with the objective of really sharpening ourselves, also gauging where we are compared to the professional teams in the world, and we know that the players are fully aware as to what our objectives are and how we're going to go about achieving them.
There’s the Commonwealth Games next year, there's the World Cup in 2027, and everything that we're doing is aligning to ultimately assist us in achieving our objectives.”
SPAR Proteas Team 2025:
Khanyisa Chawane (C), Nicholé Breedt, Entle Futshane, Kamogelo Maseko, Tarle Mathe, Owethu Ngubane, Refiloe Nketsa, Nozipho Ntshangase, Nicola Smith, Rolene Streutker, Elmeré van der Berg, Shadine van der Merwe, Juanita van Tonder, Jamie van Wyk, Sanmarie Visser.