Netball Super League | Vitality Netball Superleague quintet set to star for South Africa at Commonwealth Games

Five Vitality Netball Superleague stars have been named in the South Africa squad for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The five-strong contingent is led by totemic Team Bath goalkeeper Phumza Maweni, who was named in the Superleague’s All Star VII in her first season in the English top flight.

Maweni, who led Team Bath to a third-place finish in the 2022 campaign, was a key figure at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast.

She will be joined in the Proteas backcourt by Loughborough Lightning’s Zanele Vimbela, who made 22 appearances as her side finished runners-up in Superleague.

Vimbela was an unused bench player as Lightning were beaten 60-53 by Manchester Thunder in the Grand Final at the Copper Box.

Fellow defender Shadine van der Merwe was on the winning side that day and the 29-year-old standout will be one of South Africa’s lynchpins at the Games.

Despite recent injury issues, van der Merwe was a consistent presence in Karen Greig’s starting seven and lifted the title in her first season at Thunder.

Saracens Mavericks shooter Ine-Mari Venter, whose season has been disrupted by injury, will hope to contribute heavily at the offensive end at her second Commonwealth Games.

Dynamic goal attack Lefébre Rademan plies her trade for Celtic Dragons and completes the Superleague quintet in the South Africa squad.

South Africa finished third in the Pool A at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, claiming wins over Northern Ireland, Fiji and Barbados.

In Birmingham they have been drawn in Pool A again alongside Australia, Jamaica, Scotland, Wales and Barbados.

Full squad: Khanyisa Chawane, Izette Griesel, Boitumelo Mahloko, Phumza Maweni, Tshinakaho Mdau, Bongiwe Msomi, Lenize Potgieter, Lefebre Rademan, Monique Reyneke, Nicola Smith, Nichole Taljaard, Elmeré van der Berg, Shadine van der Merwe, Ine-Marí Venter, Zanele Vimbela

Officials: Dorette Badenhorst, Dumisani Chauke, Nicole Cusack, Nisha Rupnarain