Remaining calm in the “Fight Club” is not always easy to do for Venetia Grobler, but when she does, it is guaranteed there will be a flow of goals for the UP-Tuks netball team.
The 19-year old played only three games in the Varsity Tournament, but she made an impact. Two of them count as UP-Tuks’s highest scoring games so far. Against VUT there were 110 goals, and against UWC it was 87.
On the court with the ball in hand Grobler gives the impression of having a steely determination. Nothing seems to faze her as she appears to be effortlessly sinking one goal after another. When asked about the “Ice Queen image” Grobler laughs nervously before confessing what is seen on the court is not an accurate reflection of who she is.
“I am a softie, you can say sort of a pushover often apologising for things I might have said or done which I perceived might have offended someone. The challenge before every game is to bring about a change in my character. I got to remind myself that being nice is not going to work on the court.
“Rumandi Potgieter who sometimes plays goal attack with me once compared being in the circle to being in a ‘fight club’ as we got to fight all the time to keep possession of the ball. Sometimes you got to use real force to wrestle the ball away from an opponent. There is also a constant shoving in the circle. Then you still got to be focused enough to score goals. To survive, you got to be aggressive, and it does not come naturally to me.”
With Ine-Mari Venter back from her stint playing for the Proteas the chances of Grobler playing in Monday’s Varsity semi-final against the Madibaz is slim. She accepts it.
“I will be honest it is always disappointing when you can’t play, but I realise it has to be about what is best for the team. I am excited as to how my season played out. I did not really expect to play any Varsity games as I was on a comeback from a serious ankle injury. I only started playing again in March. I was hoping only to get the opportunity to play Varsity netball from next year. Now I have played three games, and it changed my whole perception of the game.”
UP-Tuks currently have three of the best goal shooters in South Africa. Apart from Grobler and Venter, there is also Chanté Louw.
According to Grobler continually vying for the right to play can be stressful but it is also a good thing.
“None of us can ever rest on our laurels. You got to work hard if you want to have a realistic chance to play. Only the best gets selected. Being a goal shooter also means a lot of extra practice as we got to hone our skills of making sure the ball keeps going through the net.”
Whether she gets to play or not is making no difference to Grobler.
“If I get to play it will be great if not I will still be there to support UP-Tuks as they need all the support they can get.”
The match starts at 17:00 in the Rembrandt Hall.
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