Cape Town - The clock is slow ticking down as the Netball World Cup grows closer with just one month to go until the tournament begins.
It’s been a busy year for the SPAR Proteas who were involved in the quad series and a few camps as they prepare for the showpiece that starts on the 28th of July.
The locally based players are also getting some much needed game time in the Telkom Netball league in a bid to be at their best to impress the home crowd at the CTICC in Cape Town.
Although South Africa have been among the top ranked teams in world Netball, they are yet to add a World Cup title to their name.
Their World Cup results don’t make for happy reading, since 1995 they only managed one medal. They also picked up a bronze at the Perth tournament, but that was in 1967 during the height of Apartheid.
For this tournament the Proteas will be relying on captain Bongi Msomi, Karla Pretorius and Izette Griesel and not forgetting netball coaching stalwart Norma Plummer, for their experience as they look to at least produce a podium finish this year.
IOL Sport’s Alicia Pillay takes a look at just how the Proteas have faired in their previous outings at the Netball World Cup.
1995
This was the last time the team earned a podium at the World Cup. South Africa picked up a silver medal, finishing second to Australia in that tournament. They also picked up a historic win over New Zealand and to top off their superb campaign, they were then personally presented with medals from then-President Nelson Mandela.
1999
South Africa weren’t able to build on their podium finish and ended the 1999 tournament in fifth place. They lost just once in the group stages, to none other than hosts New Zealand. South Africa then fell to a narrow defeat to England in the quarter-finals bringing their involvement in the tournament to an end.
2003
The Proteas didn’t fare any better in the 2003 tournament, again ending in fifth place. South Africa also only lost one group game, but the competition from Jamaica in Group A proved too strong. South Africa beat Samoa 56-47 to claim fifth place.
2007, 2011, 2015
It was much of the same for the Proteas in the next three World Cups. A 6th place finish in 2007 and picking up their much-loved fifth place in 2011 and 2015.
2019
Since 2005, the Proteas had their best finish in 2019 when they just missed out on a podium but bagged a 4th place finish in Liverpool. Now there is no doubt the team want to go one better and grab that podium place, and where better to do it than in front of their home crowd.
The support of local fans is something the team will be banking on to boost them in achieving top results in the Mother City.
@AliciaPillay56