Zimbabwe to take part in SA National Netball League as part of World Cup preps

Zimbabwe’s netball team will take part in the South Africa’s Netball League as part of preparations for their maiden World Cup campaign.

This was revealed as Telkom were named as title sponsors for the tournament.

The Zimbabwe national team who will be playing in their maiden 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup will make up the 13th team in the league and their coach will use the league as preparation for the World Cup.

The Gems are expected to play two matches in the Telkom-sponsored South Africa Netball League, starting with a date against the President’s Smileys, a team made up of locally-based South African national team players and coached by the country’s assistant coach Dorette Badenhorst, on May 18.

Zimbabwe will play their final game two days later against the President’s Stars, which is a male-only team, competing only in exhibition matches.

Leticia Chipandu, the Zimbabwe Netball Association president, said the invitation by their South African counterparts had come at the ideal time as they look to intensify their preparations for the World Cup.

“We are travelling to South Africa on the 16th of May to participate in two matches in the Telkom Netball League,” Chipandu said.

Of course this is awaiting ministry of sport approval so…

NATIONAL NETBALL LEAGUE FIXTURES
Week 1
Friday 10 May
Team A Team B Div TV
14:00
16:00 Stars Aloes 2 SS
18:00 Jaguars Stings 1 SS
20:00 Flames Fireballs 1
Saturday 11 May
10:00 Aloes Diamonds 2
12:00 Crinums Flames 1
14:00 OPENING
16:00 SPAR Smileys Stings
18:00 Jaguars Fireballs 1 SS
20:00 Baobabs Sunbirds 2 SS
Sunday 12 May
09:30 Sunbirds Diamonds 2 SS
11:30 Flames Jaguars 1 SS
13:30 Baobabs Stars 2
15:30 Crinums SPAR Smileys
Week 2
Friday 17 May 2018
Team A Team B Div TV
14:00 Sunbirds Stars 2
16:00 Stings Fireballs 1 SS
18:00 Baobabs Aloes 2 SS
20:00 Jaguars Crinums 1
Saturday 18 May
11:00 Aloes Sunbirds 2
13:00 Stars Diamonds 2
15:00 Crinums Fireballs
17:00 SPAR Smileys Zimbabwe SS
19:00 Jaguars Flames 1 SS
Sunday 19 May
09:30 Baobabs Diamonds 2 SS
11:30 Flames Fireballs 1 SS
13:30 Stings Crinums 1
15:30 Zimbabwe President Star (Males)
Week 3
Friday 24 May
Team A Team B Div TV
14:00 Stars Baobabs 2
16:00 Flames Stings 1 SS
18:00 Sunbirds Diamonds 2 SS
20:00 SPAR Smileys President Stars (Males)
Saturday 25 May
10:00 Aloes Baobabs 2
12:00 Jaguars Fireballs 1
14:00 Sunbirds Stars 2
16:00 Stings Crinums 1 SS
18:00 SPAR Smileys President Stars (Males) SS
Sunday 26 May
09:30 Aloes Diamonds 2 SS
11:30 Crinums Fireballs 1 SS
13:30 Stings Jaguars 1
15:30 SPAR Smileys Flames
Week 4
Friday 31 May
Team A Team B Div TV
14:00 Diamonds Baobabs 2
16:00 Crinums Jaguars 1 SS
18:00 Flames Stings 1 SS
20:00 SPAR Smileys Fireballs
Saturday 1 June
10:00 Stars Diamonds 2 SS
12:00 Fireballs Stings 1 SS
14:00 Sunbirds Aloes 2
16:00 SPAR Smileys Jaguars
Sunday 2 June
09:30 Aloes Stars 2 SS
11:30 Baobabs Sunbirds 2 SS
13:30 Flames Crinums 1 SS
WEEK 5
Friday 7 June
Team A Team B Div TV
16:00 SF1 – Div 1 Position 1 SF1 – Div1 Position 4 1 SS
18:00 SF2 – Div 1 Position 2 SF2 – Div 1 Position 3 1 SS
Saturday 8 June
14:00 Loser SF1 Loser SF2 (Position 3 / 4) 1
RELEGATION MATCH
16:00 Div 1 Position 5 Div 2 Position 1 SS
FINAL
18:00 Winners SF1 Winner SF2 1 SS