KNYSNA | BITOU NEWS - The first five months of the year have proved to be stellar for netball in Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. While Grade 8 learner Raylene Rhode was the only Knysna/Plett netball player to achieve Western Cape colours this year, numerous others from the CX region are part of the Eden District team.
Over and above these individual achievements, the men's team from Knysna Jaguars also won the regional tournament of the 2022 Twizza Netball Club Championships.
Age group levels that make up the Eden Netball team set-up range from primary schools (U11) right up to adults (Seniors).
Trials for all of these age groups were conducted up and down the Southern Cape over the first five months of the year.
The result is a group of district sides ready to take on the other netball unions from around the country in different provincial or national championships.
The local excellence starts at the youngest possible age group, the U11s, where Emma-Lee Lombard from Knysna Primary School (KPS) and Laylla McClean from Plettenberg Bay Primary School were selected for the Eden team.
From there, Phakamisani Primary School's Azile Maliwe is the only local in the U12 Eden team and Britney Booysen from KPS is the only one in the U13 team. But things really kick into gear for the CX region from the high school age groups upwards.
Starting with the U14 Eden team, CX is represented by Knysna High School's (KHS) Chloé Stander and Chelsea Jacobs, as well as Esona Matshikiza from Wittedrift High School. Next up is the U15 team and KHS' Ada'Eze Ntlangu was selected alongside Kaylee McCarthy from Knysna Secondary School (KSS).
Moving on to the U16 team, Chardonay Witbooi from KSS was chosen, as well as Sinosizo Matiwane from Murray High School and Plettenberg Bay Secondary School's Dovyoné Jansen. The U17 team sees Anuchia Kiewiets from KHS selected alongside Caithlynn Cunningham and Lucrisha Mabie from Wittedrift. Lastly for the high school age groups is the U18s, where Wittedrift's Thulisile Gelembe was chosen.
CX is represented well in the Eden teams for post-school ages too. Johandrie Peens was chosen for the U19 team, and Amber Voorslag and Roxanne Dirk were selected for the U21 team. Finally, Shavandrey Salters and Riandi Stander were chosen for the Senior team.
There is also an Eden Men's Senior team where Bradley le Bron, Fanus Leo, Raymondo Titus, Kealon Williams and Lorenzo Windvogel represented the district.
On team level, Knysna Jaguars' men's team has excelled in the regional tournament of the 2022 Twizza Netball Club Championships.
They overcame Evergreens from George in the final to win the trophy. Jaguars and Evergreens will now both represent Eden at the provincial round of the Twizza Netball Club Championships.
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