Netball League (South Africa)

Semi-professional netball league in South Africa

Telkom Netball LeagueCurrent season, competition or edition:
Telkom Netball 2024

Sport| Netball
Founded| 2014
First season| 2014
No. of teams| 15
Country|  South Africa
Titles| Telkom Netball League Division 2
Most recent
champion(s)| Gauteng Jaguars (2023) (6th title)
(2024)
Most titles| Gauteng Jaguars (6 titles)
Current Supporters' Shield| KZN Kingdom Stars
(2024 Telkom Netball League Division 2)
Current shield| Telkom Netball League Division 2
TV partner(s)| SuperSport (South Africa)
Sponsor(s)| Telkom
Official website| https://netball-sa.co.za/telkom-netball-league/

The Netball League of South Africa (known for sponsorship purposes as the Telkom Netball League) is the leading semi-professional netball league in South Africa.

## History

[edit]

Logo of the league when it was sponsored by Brutal Fruit

On 16 April 2014, Netball South Africa announced that the first semi-professional netball league ever to play in Africa would be launched. Juicing company Brutal Fruit (subsidiary of South African Breweries) were signed as the league's naming-rights sponsor for five years, ensuring the competition would be known as the Brutal Fruit Netball Cup. Ahead of the 2019 competition the sponsorship deal expired and the league was sponsored by Telkom.[1] The inaugural championship was contested by 10 teams from all nine South African provinces, played over a five-week period. The top five provincial teams formed Division 1, with the remainder forming Division 2. The first competition ran from 10 May 2014 to 7 June 2014. All matches were held in the Rembrandt Hall at the University of Pretoria and were broadcast live on SuperSport.[2]

The Free State Crinums won the inaugural Brutal Fruit Netball Cup, beating the Gauteng Jaguars 40-36 in a match that went into overtime.[3] Western Cape's Southern Stings won the Division 2 Shield of the Brutal Fruit Netball Netball in its inaugural year, beating KZN Kingdom Stars 39-31 in the final match.[4][5][6]

In 2019 the league consisted of 10 teams split into two divisions. Three other teams whose results were not included were added; the Presidents Smileys, a team made up of national team players based in South Africa, the President’s Stars which is a male only team, competing only in exhibition matches and the Zimbabwe national team used the league as preparation for the World Cup.[7] The 2019 championship was won by the Gauteng Jaguars, their third title in the competition.[8]

In 2020 the league expanded to 12 teams, split into two divisions of six. At the end of the season a promotion and relegation playoff match between the bottom team from Division 1 and the top team Division 2 is played. The 2020 season was won by the Jaguars.[9]

In 2023, the league was played at Ngwako Ramatlhodi Sports Complex in Polokwane from 27 April -1 May 2023 and Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria from 2 June -1 July 2023. The Gauteng Jaguars lifted their sixth Division 1 title with a 59-51 win over the Free State Crinums.[10] The Limpopo Baobabs won their maiden Division 2 title with a 65-40 win over the Western Cape Tornados.[11]

In 2024, the league was hosted by the City of Johannesburg from the 26 April - 19 June 2024 at Ellis Park Area.[12] In Division 1, the Free State Crinums defeated defending champions Gauteng Jaguars 47-46 to lift their fourth title. KZN Kingdom Stars won Division Two with a 37-35 win over the Eastern Cape Aloes.[13]

## Teams and rules

[edit]

All matches in the league are played according to prevailing International Netball Federation (INF) rules. Points are awarded as follows:

* Win = 2 points
* Draw = 1 point
* Lose = 0 points

The duration of each match is one hour, consisting of four quarters of 15 minutes each.

North West

Northern Cape

Gauteng

Limpopo

Mpumalanga

Free State

KwaZulu-Natal

Eastern Cape

Western Cape

### Current teams

[edit]

* Correct as of 2023

Division | Province | Team

|
|

1 | Gauteng | Jaguars
1 | Western Cape | Stings
1 | North West | Flames
1 | Free State | Crinums
1 | Gauteng | Golden Fireballs
1 | Eastern Cape | Aloes
1 | Limpopo | Baobabs
2 | KZN | Kingdom Stars
2 | Mpumalanga | Sunbirds
2 | Northern Cape | Diamonds
2 | Western Cape | Tornadoes
2 | KZN | Queens
2 | Eastern Cape | Comets
2 | Free State | Sonoblomo
2 | Limpopo | Lillies

## Division I winners

[edit]

Year  | Winners  | Runners-Up  | Ref

|
|
|

2014  | Free State Crinums  | Gauteng Jaguars  | [14]
2015  | Free State Crinums  | Gauteng Jaguars  | [15]
2016  | Free State Crinums  | Gauteng Jaguars  | [16]
2017  | Gauteng Jaguars  |  |
2018  | Gauteng Jaguars  | Western Cape Southern Stings  |
2019  | Gauteng Jaguars  | Western Cape Southern Stings  | [8]
2020  | Gauteng Jaguars  | Free State Crinums  | [9]
2021  | Gauteng Jaguars  |  |
2022  | Gauteng Golden Fireballs  | Gauteng Jaguars  |
2023  | Gauteng Jaguars  | Free State Crinums  | [10]
2024  | Free State Crinums  | Gauteng Jaguars  |

## Division II winners

[edit]

Year  | Winners  | Runners-Up  | Ref.

|
|
|

2014  | Western Cape Southern Stings  | KZN Kingdom Stars  | [4]
2015  |  |  |
2016  |  |  |
2017  |  |  |
2018  |  |  |
2019  | KZN Kingdom Stars  |  | [17]
2020  | Eastern Cape Aloes  |  |
2021  |  |  |
2022  |  |  |
2023  | Limpopo Baobabs | Western Cape Tornados  | [11]
2024  | KZN Kingdom Stars  | Eastern Cape Comets  | [13]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "South Africa's semi-professional netball tournament continues thanks to a new corporate partner". Pretoria East Rekord. 3 May 2019.
2. ^ Retrieved 08/01/2015
3. ^ brutaladmin (8 June 2014). "Free State Clinch Final In Extra Time Thriller". Brutal Fruit Netball Cup. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
4. ^ a b brutaladmin (7 June 2014). "Southern Stings Win Netball Shield". Brutal Fruit Netball Cup. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
5. ^ "SA Netball goes professional with Brutal Fruit". SAB Stories. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
6. ^ Netball South Africa (30 September 2014). "Netball teams announced for potchefstroom's spar international series - Netball South Africa". Netball-sa.co.za. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
7. ^ "Fixtures for the 2019 Telkom Netball League". Netball South Africa. Facebook. 1 May 2019.
8. ^ a b "Jaguars roar to another Telkom Netball League title". Run Ride Dive. 9 June 2019.
9. ^ a b "Jaguars Win Fourth Telkom Netball League Title And Stars Retain Division A Position". Netball South Africa. 27 October 2020.
10. ^ a b SA, Netball (2 July 2023). "Jaguars Lift Sixth Telkom Netball League Trophy". gsport4girls. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
11. ^ a b "Baobabs win historic Netball League Division 2 title". SuperSport. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
12. ^ Contributor, gsport (9 April 2024). "Joburg Welcomes Telkom Netball League into the City". gsport4girls. Retrieved 19 June 2024. `{{cite web}}`: `|last=` has generic name (help)
13. ^ a b Contributor, gsport (19 June 2024). "Kingdom Stars Win Telkom Netball League Division 2 Title in Johannesburg". gsport4girls. Retrieved 19 June 2024. `{{cite web}}`: `|last=` has generic name (help)
14. ^ "2014 Brutal Fruit Netball Cup". Netball Scoop Archive. 10 June 2014.
15. ^ "2015 Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League". Netball Scoop Archive. 8 June 2015.
16. ^ "2016 Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League". Netball Scoop Archive. 29 May 2016.
17. ^ SA, Netball (7 June 2019). "Jaguars Cruise to Third Consecutive Netball League Title". gsport4girls. Retrieved 19 June 2024.

## External links

[edit]

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