NETBALL in South Africa took a leap forward yesterday with the launch of the Netball Premier League - the first semi-professional league in Africa.
After years of struggling with sponsorships to get things off the ground, and four years since Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula made a promise to start a netball premier league, the league will kick off next month. SA Breweries' Brutal Fruit came on board as the sponsor.
Netball SA president Mimi Mthethwa said yesterday: "The plan is to turn netball around by providing opportunities whereby individuals can make a living out of playing. We want it to be on the same level as cricket, rugby and soccer."
The sponsorship will run for five years, until 2019, but the amount was not divulged. The sports ministry will also be injecting R10-million to kick-start the league.
"It has baffled me why we could not get netball to be professional. Doomsayers have been saying it would never happen," Mbalula said at the launch at Monte Casino.
The league will start on May 10 with the final on June 8. All matches will be played at the University of Pretoria.
The league will be contested in two divisions of five teams each. All nine provin- ces will be represented while Gauteng will have two teams.
The strongest teams will play in Division 1, with the rest of the teams in Division 2. There will be a promotion/relegation play-off at the end of the competition.
Premier league for netball
NETBALL in South Africa took a leap forward yesterday with the launch of the Netball Premier League - the first semi-professional league in Africa.
After years of struggling with sponsorships to get things off the ground, and four years since Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula made a promise to start a netball premier league, the league will kick off next month. SA Breweries' Brutal Fruit came on board as the sponsor.
Netball SA president Mimi Mthethwa said yesterday: "The plan is to turn netball around by providing opportunities whereby individuals can make a living out of playing. We want it to be on the same level as cricket, rugby and soccer."
The sponsorship will run for five years, until 2019, but the amount was not divulged. The sports ministry will also be injecting R10-million to kick-start the league.
"It has baffled me why we could not get netball to be professional. Doomsayers have been saying it would never happen," Mbalula said at the launch at Monte Casino.
The league will start on May 10 with the final on June 8. All matches will be played at the University of Pretoria.
The league will be contested in two divisions of five teams each. All nine provin- ces will be represented while Gauteng will have two teams.
The strongest teams will play in Division 1, with the rest of the teams in Division 2. There will be a promotion/relegation play-off at the end of the competition.
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