The contests were intense but at the end of the day were no surprises when the season log leaders UJ and Kovsies won their respective semi-final ties to emerge victorious, each with seven wins in eight outings to contest the right to raise the Varsity Netball trophy as season champions at the Callie Human Hall in Bloemfontein on Monday, 7 October, 2024.
It was UJ and NWU who got the first match underway and it was another tense affair. However, the Johannesburg team prevailed and booked their place in the final with a 55-48 victory at the Callie Human Hall.
The Orange Army took hold of the match in Q1 as they stamped their authority as NWU were still looking to settle. UJ managed to take the lead but all be it a narrow one in Q1 that saw them take a slight advantage with the score sitting at 14-10.
NWU was still finding the going tough and wasn’t able to get on the front foot which saw UJ continue to stay in the lead as they were benefiting from the mistakes their opponents were making.
Bongi Msomi’s team held their nerve to secure a 25-20 lead at halftime. Things got tense in Q3 as UJ took their powerplay but didn’t get the advantage they would have wanted and with Sunel Smit starting to score more for NWU and we were in for a tight finish.
UJ was holding firm and leading 40-34. UJ sustained whatever pressure came their way in the final 15 minutes of the match and held on for an big win.
The second semi-final saw defending champions Tuks up against top-of-the-log side Kovsies. Much like the first semi-final, there wasn’t much that separated the two teams but it was the University of Free State who dethroned Tuks and booked their place in next week’s final thanks to a 69-62 victory.
Both teams came out with clear intent in the first quarter as they looked to take hold of the match but it was Kovsies who had their noses in front with a 15-13 lead.
The Free State team then decided to take their power play in Q2 to build on their momentum and it worked in their favour as they took a 35-31 lead into halftime.
It was in the third quarter when Kovsies pulled away to lead 53-43. A strong performance in Q4 saw them beat Tuks …
Results and Fixtures of the 2024 Varsity Netball Tournament
Sunday, 1 September at the Wits Sports Hall
Wits Netball 33-78 UFS Kovsies NetballUJ Netball 46-38 Maties NetballUP-Tuks Netball 96-9 TUT NetballNWU Netball 85-49 Madibaz Netball
Monday, 2 September at the Wits Sports Hall
UFS Kovsies Netball 62-54 NWU NetballTUT Netball 13-77 Maties NetballUJ Netball 72-35 Madibaz NetballWits Netball 49-64 UP-Tuks Netball
Sunday, 8 September at the Madibaz Sports Centre
Madibaz Netball 47-81 UP-Tuks NetballWits Netball 42-68 Maties NetballUJ Netball 51-46 UFS Kovsies NetballTUT Netball 17-75 NWU Netball
Monday, 9 September at the Madibaz Sports Centre
UJ Netball 59-42 Wits NetballNWU Netball 62-61 UP-Tuks NetballMaties Netball 45-56 UFS Kovsies NetballMadibaz Netball 71-25 TUT Netball
Monday, 16 September
Madibaz Netball 26-79 UFS Kovsies Netball (Rembrandt Hall)UP-Tuks Netball 48-55 Maties Netball (Rembrandt Hall)Wits Netball 86-24 TUT Netball (NWU Mafikeng Great Hall)NWU Netball 39-64 UJ Netball (NWU Mafikeng Great Hall)
Sunday, 22 September at the Callie Human Hall
UFS Kovsies Netball 67-49 UP-Tuks NetballMaties Netball 63-22 Madibaz NetballTUT Netball 22-53 UJ NetballWits Netball 39-54 NWU Netball
Monday, 23 September at the Callie Human Hall
NWU Netball 54-38 Maties NetballUP-Tuks 56-48 UJMadibaz Netball 50-62 Wits NetballUFS Kovsies Netball 112-9 TUT Netball
Monday, 30 September at the Callie Human Hall in Bloemfontein
17:00 Semi-Final 1: UJ Netball 55-48 NWU Netball19:00 Semi-Final 2: UFS Kovsies Netball 69-62 UP-Tuks Netball
Monday, 7 October at the Callie Human Hall
19:00 Varsity Netball Final: Kovsies vs UJ
Teams Contesting the 2024 Varsity Netball Tournament
1. UFS Kovsies Netball – University of the Free State2. UJ Netball – University of Johannesburg3. NWU Netball – North West University4. UP-Tuks Netball – University of Pretoria5. Maties Netball – University of Stellenbosch6. Wits Netball – University of Witwatersrand7. Madibaz Netball – Nelson Mandela University8. TUT Netball – Tshwane University of Technology
Main Photo caption: The contests were intense but log leaders UJ (pictured with coach Bongi Msomi captured in a moment of elation) and Kovsies won their ties to earn the right to contest the 2024 Varsity Netball final after semi-final victories over NWU and Tuks respectively, at the Callie Human Hall at the UFS on Monday, 30 September, 2024. Photo: Varsity Netball
Photo 2 caption: UJ played a strategic match staying just ahed of NWU at the end of each quarter to ensure their tournament hopes stay alive. Photo: Varsity Netball
Photo 3 caption: Not much to separate the two but it was the University of Free State who prevailed over Tuks to book their finals berth in Bloemfontein. Photo: Varsity Netball
Photo 4 caption: Kovsies opened a widening lead in the third before a strong performance in Q4 saw them beat Tuks for a second time this season and secure a home final to be played on Monday, 7 October at the Callie Human Hall. Photo: Varsity Netball
