The Telkom Netball League will be the last opportunity for players either to get competitive game time or find form before the Vitality Netball World Cup in Cape Town.
The 2023 edition of the Telkom Netball League is set to start on the 27th of April at the Ngoako Ramahlodi Sports Complex in Seshego, Polokwane for the opening week before heading to Pretoria in June. Picture: @Netball_SA/Twitter.
JOHANNESBURG – Netball South Africa has launched the 5th season of the Telkom Netball League (TNL) which is set to start on the 27 April 2023 at the Ngoako Ramahlodi Sports Complex in Seshego, Polokwane.
This edition of the competition has an added level of importance as it takes place in a World Cup year – one that will be hosted on home soil in July.
It will be the last opportunity for players either to get competitive game time or find form before the Vitality Netball World Cup in Cape Town.
#TelkomNL Netball SA President Cecilia Molokwane says the league will expand to 15 teams with the introduction of 2 new sides this year and hopes it will become fully professional in the future. She also says international players will be allowed to play in the league from 2024. pic.twitter.com/vnP2uDt8J3
‘ EWN Sport (@EWNsport) April 12, 2023
The country’s governing body wants to share in the excitement of the global event by spreading the joy of the game.
The Limpopo province will be the first beneficiary of the move as the first round of games will take place in the province this month, before the second and final leg of the league will see games being played at the Heartfelt Arena in Pretoria between the 2 June and 1 July in 2023.
Netball SA President Cecilia Molokwane announced that this season’s competition has been expanded to 15 – with the inclusion of the Free State Sonneblomme and the Limpopo Lilies in the B Section.
Molokwane said she’s pleased with the growth of the league over the last five years as it shows that the sport is being taken seriously.
“I’m very proud of where we are with Telkom because when we started with the TNL we had 10 teams and now we have 15 teams in a short period of five years. There’s something right that we’re doing. We want more. We want to grow the sport and make sure that this sport is taken seriously, and it grows to the level it should be at,” Molokwane said.
Sports Minister Zizi Kodwa delivers his opening remarks at the launch of the 2023 Telkom Netball League. He hails the strides made in women’s sport in the country #TelkomNL. pic.twitter.com/BDlCSXqIaZ
‘ EWN Sport (@EWNsport) April 12, 2023
Gugu Mthembu, Telkom’s chief marketing officer hailed the successful partnership with Netball SA over the past five years and affirmed their support for the growth of the sport.
“As proud sponsors of this year’s TNL, we look forward to yet another successful competition and ultimately continuing with the development of Netball in South Africa,” Mthembu said
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Meanwhile, Molokwane also revealed future plans for the league that will include international players being allowed to compete from 2024. She also said she hoped the tournament would become fully professional one day.
Telkom has also renewed its partnership with Netball South Africa for a further three years effective from 1 April 2023.
The 2023 edition of the Telkom Netball League is set to start on the 27th of April at the Ngoako Ramahlodi Sports Complex in Seshego, Polokwane for the opening week before heading to Pretoria in June
???? https://t.co/fX1zPZZcYl#TNLisBack | #TelkomNL | @TelkomZA pic.twitter.com/6ffJWwfOuW
‘ Netball South Africa (@Netball_SA) April 12, 2023
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