Proteas aim for a podium finish at the 2023 Netball World Cup

It is now 54 days before the start of the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town and the South African national netball team, the Proteas will be aiming to win the tournament for the first time, or at least achieve a podium finish.

The team’s strengthening and conditioning coach, Werner Botha is adamant that fitness will be key in the global showpiece. Botha aims to make the Proteas the fittest team in the tournament.

Four years ago, the Proteas came very close to winning bronze medal. The Proteas lost to the then host nation, England and finished fourth. The team won bronze medal in 1967 and silver medal in 1995. Botha says the team will need to have an edge fitness wise to have a good run in the tournament.

“We need to oversee the opposition as well, what we need to do, what’s that extra 1% we can give them to make them better than the opposition. There was some testing we needed to do as an opposition and to design the program to see if it improves them but it’s a short time to see what small things we could change and if you get a team and they believe in what you do, and understand objectives and outcome and where you want to go.”

South Africa will be in Pool C with Wales, Sri Lanka and the physical team Jamaica. Botha says the Proteas needs to be physically strong to the other physical teams in the event.

“You need to be physically strong. Some positions you move around from the court so you need to have fitness levels. There is a lot of force going through the body and playing in seven matches back to back as well so it’s going to be important to be fit and who can recover the quickest and it will depend on how did you train during the year not just in the court but in the gym as well,” Botha adds.

Representing the country

Werner has been with rugby, mostly in the academies, before he got the big break to be part of the Proteas for the World Cup. He couldn’t turn down the opportunity for anything in the world.

“I think it’s any person’s dream to be in that position to be able to represent your country, it’s not an opportunity that comes often especially having it in South Africa. I think it makes it so much more special I don’t think it will ever or maybe in my lifetime probably not happen again so I think that makes it more exciting that we can do it in our country as well,” Botha explains.

It will be the first time that the Netball World Cup will be hosted on the African continent since the quadrennial tournament was incepted in 1963. Botha believes playing on home soil will motivate the players to rise to the occasion.

“Pressure is going to be there and the girls will know with all the hype going on towards the world cup as well and I think it will give them an added advantage as well because you have the local support, your family I think it will be a big advantage for our players,” Botha reiterates.

The World Cup will be played from the 28th of July until the 6th of August.

Fitness will be key for the netball Proteas at the 2023 Netball World Cup: