Linda Moreotsene

Linda Moreotsene

The death of star Yvonne Phiri in a car crash near Hartebeesfontein on Saturday has dealt national netball a blow.

Phiri, 21, was returning home in the North West from the national team's training camp at the High Performance Centre at the Pretoria University.

A source close to the national team said Phiri had been picked up by a friend from a taxi rank in Rustenburg.

"It appears that they were involved in the accident 4km from Hartebeespoort and Yvonne died at the scene. The friend is currently missing and can't be found," said the source.

Phiri was due to tour England with the national team next month and would have possibly represented the country at the World Netball Championships in Fiji in June.

Phiri, a long-serving member of the under-21 team, played the centre and wing defence positions and was in the South African team that toured Fiji and New Zealand earlier this year.

She was a student at the Free State University and had represented the province in the inter-provincial tournament in Port Elizabeth in August.

"Yvonne was a key player in the national team and we had great plans for her in the future. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to her family," said the president of Netball South Africa Mimi Mthethwa.

"She had the aggression and the ability to maintain a sense of urgency from start to finish. S he was going to make a major impact, particularly playing at centre."