By Moyahabo Mabeba
Netball South Africa (NSA) has announced that the SPAR Proteas will kickstart the 2026 season with a SPAR Challenge three-test match series against England in January at Ellis Park Indoor Arena in Johannesburg.
There will be a sense of deja vu when the England side touches down on OR Tambo International Airport two weeks ahead of the much-anticipated series.
The last time South Africa faced Vitality Roses at home was back in 2023 during the Quad Series in Cape Town before facing them again during the Netball World Cup in the same year at the same venue.
Head Coach Jenny van Dyk is familiar with the English style of play having already faced the Vitality Roses twice during the Netball Nations Cup in 2024 where she lost one 61 – 55 and won one 61 – 59.
“We are thrilled to host Vitality Roses for a test series on home soil this coming January. We are looking forward to welcoming fans to this competitive event. The players are hard at work preparing for this challenge, and there are a few players that we are looking at that may be brought into the squad come January. The series will also assist us as we begin to build a team for Commonwealth Games and beyond,” Van Dyk said.
The two nations will engage in a series of action-packed games between January 29 and February 1.
As a build-up to this series, the SPAR Proteas will travel to Lilongwe in Malawi to compete in the Africa Nations Cup from December 9 to 14.
The SPAR Proteas head into this tournament as African Champions and would want to defend their title and use this as a confidence booster going into the new year.
The SPAR Proteas will regroup and assemble camp early January in preparation for the series where van Dyk will confirm her final 15-player squad before the tournament commences.
