The UP-Tuks netball team is going to face one of their toughest challenges on Sunday in Bloemfontein when they play against Kovsies in the Varsity Tournament, but they will have it no other way.
The defending champions will basically be fielding a whole new team. It is not through choice. It could be said that UP-Tuks has become a victim of their own success as their senior players are currently representing the Jaguars at the SuperClub Tournament in Nelson, New Zealand. Jenny van Dyk (UP-Tuks head coach) is also coaching the Jaguars.
All this means that Van Dyk and her coaching staff really had to plan their campaign for the two tournaments to the finest detail.
Due to Van Dyk's involvement with the Jaguars Erin Burger has been coaching the team of eight players, half of which has never played Varsity netball, to take on Kovsies.
The Jaguars will be back over the weekend. On Sunday Jenny van Dyk and four of the senior players will be travelling to Bloemfontein to play if needed on Monday against Northwest Pukke.
One would expect the UP-Tuks players to be worried, but it is more a case of the opposite being true. They are looking forward to playing.
“Yes the players are slightly nervous, but it is a good nervousness as it will get the adrenaline going,” said Burger.
According to her, the Kovsies is quite formidable as the core of the team represented the Crinums during the Brutal Fruit Series, so they are settled as combinations.
“We will definitely be the underdogs on Sunday which means the only pressure will be the pressure we put on ourselves. I am confident the team will give a good account of themselves. Over the last few weeks it has been exciting to see how the young players in our team started to also gel and to complement each other’s play,” said Burger.
Juzelri Garbers who is one of the senior players in the UP-Tuks side said their significant advantage is that they are an entirely unknown factor as nobody is has seen the “new team” play.
“This weekend is also going to be an opportunity to explore the depth of Tuks netball. But when all is said and done it is going to boil down to pure guts. The team that wants it most will win on Sunday.”
The UP-Tuks team for the games against Kovsies and Northwest Pukke is Venetia Grobler, Rumandi Potgieter, Anique Grobler, Andile Tombeni, Jeanette Vermeulen, Marilyn Cilengi, Lebogang Kekana, Juzelri Garbers, Ine-Marí Venter, Chantelle Swart, Tshina Mdau, Akosua Mensah.
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