[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) senior netball team put up improved performances in the eighth edition of the FNB Varsity Netball tournament in Stellenbosch, Western Cape in August 2021. UJ finished in fifth position on the log following a few narrow losses in the tournament.
The Orange Army ended their campaign with a 57 – 44 win over the Eastern Cape side Nelson Mandela University (Madibaz). In the past Varsity Netball tournaments, UJ lost to Madibaz with 45 – 29 score in 2018 and 50 – 24 in 2019. This year, UJ turned the tables by winning twice against the Madibaz.
UJ registered consecutive win-lose matches, but earned bonus points in their narrow loses. This was UJ Netball’s much improved run in the competition compared to the recent five to seven-year performances.
Moreover, UJ Netball finished the tournament with heads held high having had a few players walking away with Player of the Match performances. Monica Gomases won three Player of the Match accolades, with teammates Muhluri Hlatshwayo and Cornelia Mupenda taking the same performance accolades ones each.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Gomases was also nominated for Player of the Tournament, alongside Stellenbosch University (Maties) players, Nicholé Taljaard (winner) and Syntiche Kabuya.
The Orange Army’s Cornelia Mupenda was also on the list of players who received some votes for Player of the Tournament run.
“This group is exciting! The entire UJ Netball Team is a blessing! I am really proud of how the team performed throughout the tournament. I had no doubt that we would go into the tournament to shake things up a bit,” says UJ Netball Coach and Manager, Bongiwe Msomi.
She added, “All credit goes to the girls for really buying into the plans and goals we have for the club. It really showed not just in their performances, but how they carried themselves throughout the tournament. For such a young side, one has to be excited for the future of UJ Netball. Hopefully supporters and competitors at home could see what the Orange Army is about, and it core values. Despite who we played on each day, we ticked a number of boxes that we might have struggled to tick in previous encounters and I am really proud,” says Coach Msomi.
The University of Free State (UFS – Kovsies) were crowned the 2021 FNB Varsity Netball tournament champions for the fourth time after bringing their big match temperament to the final against Maties.
The University of Pretoria (UP – Tuks) finished in third (3rd) place, while the North West University (Pukke) finished in the fourth (4th) spot.
This is how the UJ games unfolded:
UJ 59 – 27 TUT
Kovies 60 – 54 UJ
UWC 30 – 68 UJ
NWU 68 – 63 UJ
Tuks 66 – 39 UJ
UJ 53 – 58 Maties[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
