Netball leads to many opportunities : 2015-09-01
The Varsity Sports Netball tournament kicks off on 6-7 September and some of the country’s best netball players will be in action.
Maties finished fourth last year and as co-captains Juline Rossouw and Suné Claassens will play a big role in their team’s efforts to do even better this year.
Rossouw is a former Paarl Gymnasium learner who enrolled at Stellenbosch University (SU) in 2011. She is currently studying towards a degree in Education. Netball is her passion and she is not planning on quitting any time soon.
“I don’t think there is anything else in this world that makes me as happy as being between those four lines on court.”
This defender, who represented the Proteas in the Fast Five World Series in New Zealand in 2013, is currently playing for Maties, the Cape Winelands Senior A side and the Southern Stings (in the Brutal Fruit Netball Cup).
Claassens, a former Augsburg High (Augsburg Landbougimnasium) learner, also enrolled at SU in 2011 and has already graduated with a B.Com degree as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). She is currently busy with a postgraduate diploma in development finance.
As centre she is playing for Maties, the Cape Winelands Senior A side and the Southern Stings.
“Netball isn’t just a sport for me, it’s a lifestyle,” she says.
Both Rossouw and Claassens encourage new students to continue playing sport while at university, and after.
“It teaches you to manage your time, keeps you fit and healthy, offers you a break from your studies and gives you the opportunity to meet new people. To top it all, you also get the chance to be part of something like Varsity Netball,” says Claassens.
The team is coached by Christine Markgraaff-Behan and the squad includes Sasha-Lee Petersen, Jo Prins, Haike Brink, Juline Rossouw, Suné Claassens, Nelandré Mostert, Cari Swart, Saskia Stander, Stephanie Brandt, Somari Els, Charmaine Baard and Melandi Pretorius.
Varsity Netball competition:
The 2015 Varsity Netball competition will kick off at the Coetzenburg Centre in Stellenbosch on 6 and 7 September when Maties take on NMMU and Tuks.
Four teams start their campaign in Stellenbosch.
6 September 15:00 – Tuks vs UCT; 16:30 Maties vs NMMU.
7 September 17:30 – NMMU vs UCT; 19:00 Maties vs Tuks.
The other teams in the competition – UJ, VUT, Kovsies and NWU Pukke – will play at the University of the Free State.
Other dates:
14 September 19:00 – Maties vs NWU-Pukke in Potchefstroom.
20 September 13:00 – Maties vs UJ in Pretoria.
21 September 14:30 – Maties vs UCT in Pretoria.
28 September 18:00 – Maties vs VUT in Stellenbosch.
5 October 19:00 – Maties vs Kovsies in Stellenbosch.
12 October – Semi-finals
19 October – Final
Get your tickets
- Download the Varsity Sports SA Mobile App (from the Google Play Store or iTunes) and receive one free ticket.
- Visit http://varsitysportssa.com/ and buy tickets online for R10.
- Available on the day for R20 at a ticket sales booth.