At 76 years old Strand netball legend Diane van der Merwe still fits into her South African Netball Board blazer handed to her back in 1963. She is now counting her blessings having reached this age still healthy, bubbly and full of energy.
“I’m eagerly awaiting the Netball World Cup, which takes place in Cape Town,” she said. “It’s super exciting, especially for us old-school netball Helderberg ladies who breathed netball every day for most of our lives.”
Van der Merwe played for the Springbok Netball Team at the time when a separate team of coloured girls played apart from their white counterparts due to apartheid laws.
As a defender the 1963 tour led the team across all provinces of the country, where they played against provincial teams as they were restricted from playing against other national teams.
“I also became an umpire, and to this day I still coach girls, share advice and even assist umpires climb up the ranks and help them understand the game,” said Van der Merwe. “It’s been a long road but I still enjoy it wholeheartedly to this day.”
And like her childhood friend and fellow netball-obsessed Doreen Fingers (“World Cup fever here”, DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette, 28 June), both are crossing fingers for the prospect of perhaps attending a game or three at the World Cup, especially since it takes place right on their doorstep. “We would love to see a World Cup game live, and we’re praying that this dream comes true,” Van der Merwe said.
