THE SCENE IS SET FOR NETBALL QUAD SERIES
19 January 2023, Cape Town – Southern Sun Waterfront was a hive of activity this morning when Netball South Africa hosted the media briefing for the 2023 Netball Quad Series in Cape Town.
Members of the media, partners, stakeholders, and participating nations were in attendance in the lead- up to the tournament, which will feature four of the best nations in a blockbuster series.
The City of Cape Town is pleased to play host to the Netball Quad Series in partnership with Netball South Africa. As we inch closer to the 2023 Netball World Cup set to take place here in Cape Town, tournaments like the Quad Series provide a perfect opportunity for teams and players to test their strengths and figure out where to improve before the World Cup later this year. On behalf of the City of Cape Town, it is my pleasure to warmly welcome the South African, New Zealand, Australian and English netball teams to the Mother City. We are thrilled to host you in our beautiful city,’ said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
South Africa is set to host the international competition for the third time; however, the Mother City will play host for the very first time. This will be the perfect opportunity for the city to use the tournament as a yardstick for their preparations ahead of the 2023 Netball World Cup in 182 days’ time.
“We are under 200 days away from the World Cup, and I believe that the Quad Series is a perfect opportunity not only for the City of Cape Town to gauge their state of readiness, but it is also a time for all the teams that are here to see where they are as we build up to the global showpiece,” said Cecilia Molokwane, President of Netball South Africa.
South Africa, ranked fifth in the latest Netball World rankings, will take on Australia, England, and New Zealand over a four-day period from the 21st to the 25th of January 2023 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
“We have a combination of good players, both experienced and young. We just need to make sure that we manage them well going into the series and make sure that we get the best from everyone. Quad is an important one especially during world cup year and because we are also playing teams that are ranked above us – we will get to punch above our own weight. I think we have a chance to cause a few upsets,” said Norma Plummer, SPAR Proteas Head Coach
SPAR Proteas Captain Bongiwe Msomi said, “the girls are really pumped and ready to take to court. It is early in the year however the spirits are quite high. The series is very important for us because we need to see how far we are in terms of readiness especially for the World Cup”
South Africa last played in November of last year in the SPAR Diamond Challenge against Zimbabwe and Scotland, and England recently played against Jamaica in the Vitality Netball International Series last week. Meanwhile, ‘Down Under’ Australia and New Zealand played each other in the Constellation Cup in October 2022.
All teams are ready to face off against each other and make their intentions very clear, as this will serve as part of their preparations for the World Cup. The Local Organising Committee for the global showpiece will also look to seize the moment and fine-tune their preparations as the clock counts down to the highly- anticipated tournament.
Fixtures:
21st Jan 2023
16:00 – South Africa vs New Zealand
18:00 – Australia vs England
22nd Jan 2023
16:00 – South Africa vs England
18:00 – Australia vs New Zealand
24th Jan 2023
16:00 – England vs New Zealand
18:00 – South Africa vs Australia
25th Jan 2023
16:00 3rd & 4th Play off
18:00 FINAL
All matches will be played at Cape Town’s International Convention Centre and will also be broadcast on SuperSport Variety 4 (DStv Channel 209) in South Africa and Variety 1 for the rest of the continent. Tickets available from Ticketpro and participating SPAR outlets.
Photo Credit: Skhu Nkomphela
