Johannesburg, South Africa – The countdown has begun for the biggest netball event ever to hit Johannesburg – the Quad Series brought to you by SPAR involving Australia, New Zealand ,England and South Africa.
The South African leg of the Quad Series will be played at the Ellis Park Indoor Arena, which can seat 5000 spectators.
The opening match, at 7pm on Thursday January 25, will feature the SPAR Proteas against netball giants, the New Zealand Silver Ferns. On Sunday January 28, the battle of the titans, the Silver Ferns and the Australian Diamonds, at midday, will be followed at 2.30pm by the battle of the flowers – the SPAR Proteas and the England Roses.
The Silver Ferns are a dominant force in world netball and have been an almost constant feature in the final of the Netball World Cup, winning the title three times. South Africa caused a major upset in 1995, when Debbie Hamman’s Proteas beat the Silver Ferns in the semifinal in their first appearance at the world event in the democratic era. It was one of only two occasions the Silver Ferns failed to reach the final.
South Africa’s superstar goalshooter, Irene van Dyk, who played a major role in the Proteas’ success at the 1995 World Cup, left South Africa for New Zealand in 2000. She quickly became the face of the Silver Ferns and went on to rewrite the record books while continuing to play at the highest level into her 40’s. She was regarded so highly in her adopted country that she was accorded the honour of carrying the New Zealand flag at the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010.
New Zealand have chosen a strong 14-player touring squad for the Quad Series in England and South Africa. In London, their only match is against the England Roses on Saturday January 20, so they have plenty of time to recover before the South African leg.
“This is a big tour in terms of the travel with short turnarounds between flying from New Zealand, playing in England and then on to South Africa,’’ said Silver Ferns coach Janine Southby.
“For that reason we are travelling with 14. This will enable us to continue to develop and build depth and combinations across the squad.
“The Commonwealth Games (April) is the immediate focus but we’re also mindful the 2019 Netball World Cup is not that far away either and the more time we get with our athletes and continuing to fine-tune their readiness and preparation is all part of the bigger picture.
The three matches in Johannesburg will provide netball fans with some of the best netball they have ever seen, and Netball South Africa (NSA) are urging supporters to come out in their thousands to support the Proteas. Tickets are from as little as R30 and are available from Computicket.
“We want to fill Ellis Park and give our players the support they deserve,” said new NSA President Cecilia Molokwane.
“Our Proteas are getting closer and closer to New Zealand and Australia, and with the backing of the South African public, we can do it.”
Tickets for the Quad Series can be bought at Computicket.
Thursday 25 January 2018 : (Costs according to colour coded seats)
- R20.00 per person
- R25.00 per person
- R50.00 per person
- R200.00 VIP
Sunday 28 January 2018 : (Cost according to colour coded seats)
- R30.00 per person
- R50.00 per person
- R100.00 per person
- R200 VIP
Combo tickets : (Tickets for both matches)
- R40.00 per person
- R60.00 per person
- R120.00 per person
- R300.00 VIP
