The countdown to the highly anticipated Netball World Cup continues, with 11 days remaining until the tournament commences in Cape Town, South Africa. Making sporting history as the first Netball World Cup to be hosted on African soil, the tournament promises to be an extraordinary celebration of local and international talent, fierce competition, and African unity.
Commencing on 28 July at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the Netball World Cup will bring together top-tier national teams to compete for the prestigious title, during a final match that will be played on 6 August.
The tournament favourites
Reigning and defending champions New Zealand will do everything in their power to secure their sixth championship. On the other hand, the tournament favourites, Australia, with their impressive record of 11 titles out of a possible 16, will be determined to add another trophy to their already glistening cabinet and tally.
The pride of Africa
Host nation and representing Africa with pride is South Africa. Known as the Proteas, they will be joined by national teams Malawi, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Having finished in fourth place in the last edition of the World Cup, the Proteas will be spearheaded by talismanic captain Bongi Msomi.
Dual code athlete for Malawi, Towera Vinkhumbo will be joining the Malawi Queens for her fourth Netball World Cup. The Malawi Queens will continue being a competitive force in netball following their best performance in the 2018 edition in Liverpool.
Zimbabwe, known as the Gems, achieved their highest-ever finish in the 2019 Netball World Cup, securing eighth place after losing both their play-off matches to African counterparts Uganda and third-ranked side, Jamaica. Joining the team is the versatile Zimbabwean star Felistus Kwangwa, who will be looking to help her nation at the heart of the defence.
The Ugandan She Cranes will be led by goal shooter Mary Cholhok, and will aim to continue showcasing their ability to compete against the world’s top netball teams and set precedence for the African continent by beating their 2019 achievement, where they scored their highest-ever finish, claiming sixth place in the tournament.
The pool of teams
Teams will be divided into four pools that will be filled with strong and formidable competitors:
Pool A: Australia, Tonga, Zimbabwe and Fiji
Pool B: England, Malawi, Scotland and Barbados
Pool C: Jamaica, South Africa, Wales and Sri Lanka
Pool D: New Zealand, Uganda, Trinidad & Tobago and Singapore
All eyes will be on the African countries as well as the tournament favourites to see how they can further solidify their positions on the global stage.
As you prepare to immerse yourself in the exhilarating action, Showmax Pro, courtesy of SuperSport, is thrilled to announce that all netball games will be streamed live on Showmax Pro. From the comfort of your home, Showmax Pro subscribers across the continent will have the exclusive opportunity to witness every thrilling moment and show their support for their favourite teams.
Showmax Pro is a streaming service available for Showmax subscribers in Africa that bundles the Showmax entertainment offering with music channels, news and live sports streaming from SuperSport. Subscribers can live stream the latest seasons of the English Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, UEFA Europa and UEFA Conference leagues, as well as FIFA World Cup qualifiers, every game of the FIFA World Cup Qatar and more. Subscribers in selected regions can stream the UEFA Champions League.
Be the first to comment