Unbeaten Tornados target Division One spot as TNL resumes

The Western Cape Tornados will begin the second round of the Telkom Netball League (TNL) on a high. The Lucy Twani-led side wrapped up Power Week One on top of the Division Two table after a clean streak in the opening round of the season.

They lead the table with seven straight wins and they are followed by the KwaZulu-Natal Kingdom Queens who registered five victories from seven matches and lost only one game.

The TNL resumes this weekend for the second round at the Ellis Park Arena from Friday 22 to 31 May.

The Heartfelt Arena in Tshwane will host the final week of the tournament from 12 to 15 June.

Tornados goal shooter Rehana Noah understands that Power Week Two will be tougher as all teams are aiming for their scalp to avenge the defeats from the opening round.

The North West Tshukudu are the only side that the Tornados are yet to face this season. Noah says the team will strategize differently in this round.

“Obviously, all eyes will be on us now, people have played us and they know what to expect. But on our side we bring something different. We know we have to work two times harder with new set-ups, new strategies to try and become unpredictable for other teams. Also to pull through to the end and win all our games in Power Week Two. The only difference is we didn’t play Tshukudu in the last Power Week but we are looking forward to the challenge. Our place is not guaranteed and that’s what we love most,” says Noah.

STRIVING TO JOIN THE ELITE SECTION

The 2025 Goal Shooter of the Season says all the plans they had set before the season began, have fallen into place. She says although the makeup of the team has changed, everyone is on the same page about the team’s goals.

“We came in and did what we needed to do. We won seven out of seven games, so we can tick off some of the personal goals we set as a team. Coach Lucy said she didn’t want us to do anything more but she wants us to do everything right. We went into each game sort of doing everything right or trying to achieve that. It was exciting. It is a new team. We have players that are completely new in the TNL, we had players come down from the (Western Cape Southern) Stings team. It is a new set of players but we are all on the same page and that led us to winning seven out of seven wins,” she explains.

She adds that having a well-rounded team has been key in how the team has played so far.

“This year we have a full 12 players, on the court and on the bench that can come in at any moment and give us that little bit of spark that we need. That takes pressure off a player when you know that your team is backing you because we are all such strong 12 players, it makes the job easy,” she says

After stumbling in the final of Division Two last year, Noah says the team is determined to play in another final, although this time they are aiming to earn promotion to the elite section.

“We got so close last year but then we just fell short in the final. Anyone’s goal coming into a tournament is to get the gold, to win the tournament. But we don’t want to stop there, we want to get promoted to Division One because we are strong enough to compete at that level. I think it will also give us more experience when we are that side, even if we’re not doing that great. The experience of playing alongside Spar Protea players, Proteas in the training squad, it will grow us as players.

Last year I finished as the goal shooter of the tournament, I will strive again to get that. But I think my team is bigger than me in the sense that our goal is to get into Division One. That means that I am playing for my teammates,” she says.

STRONG COMPETITION IN DIVISION ONE

Meanwhile, Division One will be highly contested in the second round.

The 2024 champions, the Free State Crinums, will be expecting to continue with their rich vein of form they exhibited in Durban at the opening round.

The Martha Mosoahle-Samm-led side finished Power Week One without a loss and earned a spot at the top of the table with six wins out of six.

They are followed by six-time champions, Gauteng Jaguars who registered four wins and they share points with the Stings who are third on the table.

The defending champions, the Gauteng Golden Fireballs, will be boosted by the return of defenders Cornelia Mupenda and Jeanté Strydom to the team.

The duo missed the first round due to their participation in the Malaysian Netball Super League.

Zimbabwe’s Zambezi Eagles will return to the competition in the new week.

They will compete in Division One where they will begin their campaign against the Fireballs on the first day.