From Sunday, it's all to play for in the upcoming rounds 6 and 7 of the 2024 Varsity Netball edition in Bloemfontein. Even Hollywood’s best writers would struggle to script a more thrilling finish to the tournament.

Currently, UJ tops the log with 20 points, followed by Kovsies with 17, Tuks with 14, and both Maties and NWU Pukke tied at 12. UJ and Kovsies are already secured for the semifinals, leaving two spots open for three contenders.

Tuks will have their work cut out for them as they face Kovsies on Sunday and UJ on Monday. They’ll need to be at their absolute best to win both games. In a worst-case scenario, if Tuks wins one match and loses the other by fewer than seven points, they would finish with 19 log points—enough to secure a spot in the top four.

Maties and NWU Pukke are guaranteed to win on Sunday as they play Madibaz and Wits, respectively. That will give them both 16 points. So the crunch game for these two teams will be on Monday when they play each other. The winner is guaranteed to play in the semifinals. The loser's fate will depend on the outcome of the Tuks versus UJ match.

One of the best traits of TuksNetball is the player's never-say-die attitude. Over the years, there have been countless stories of how Tuks snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in the dying minutes. This time around, however, it will take more than pure guts for Tuks to win.

Tuks' Achilles heel in this tournament is their play during the powerplays. They had a three-point lead going into the final quarter of play against Maties. Only to then get unstuck during the two powerplays, conceding 12 points without scoring once. The previous week, Tuks also lost in the last quarter during the powerplays, conceding 12 points while only scoring four against NWU,

The Tuks head coach, Erin Burger, had no excuses for her team's performance on Monday. 

"Congratulations must go to Maties as they brought their A-game to the court. We played well in the first quarter (15 minutes) but struggled to adapt when Maties changed their game plan. During the powerplays, things did not work for us. We made silly mistakes at crucial times, and it cost us."

Burger added that although the team lost, they were not defeated.

"I can vouch for the fact that if there is one thing Tuks players hate, it is to lose. They will be back and playing at their best starting Sunday."

Tuks will face Kovsies on Sunday at 13:00 and UJ on Monday, also at 13:00.