South Africa’s Proteas women’s netball team are hunting their first-ever podium finish at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. They must maintain winning momentum and secure a top-two finish in Pool A to progress to the semi-finals on Saturday, 1 August. Their closest shot at a podium finish was fourth at the 1998 edition in Kuala Lumpur, where they fell to England in the bronze medal match, before finishing fifth and sixth in subsequent editions.

Under head coach Jenny van Dyk, the Proteas recorded their third successive win, 78-30 over Northern Ireland this afternoon, following significant wins of 65-44 against Malawi on Saturday and 96-42 against Tonga on Sunday. The Proteas closed out the comfortable win in a ruthless final quarter that yielded 25 goals. The result propelled them to the top of the pool before crucial matches against two powerhouses Australia and England. Van Dyk’s charges made history by breaking SA’s Commonwealth Games scoring record, surpassing their previous best of 92 goals, with the 96-42 demolition of Tonga.

Well-rested after a day off, the Proteas return to action today to continue their charge against Northern Ireland in their third Pool A. Victor move Team SA Proteas to three victories from three outings and place them with one foot firmly in the last four. Victory over the rock-bottom opponents further keep the pressure on Pool A leaders Australia, whom they will face in a supercharged encounter tomorrow – Wednesday at 21:00. The Proteas and the Australian Diamonds are the only two undefeated teams of the six nations in Pool A.

Ranked top in the World Netball Rankings, Australia have already dispatched fourth-ranked England 66-47, following their emphatic 99-38 win over Tonga in the opening match on Saturday. The defending champions are favourites to top the group.

As things stand, the fierce battle for the second semi-final berth in Pool A is between the fifth-ranked Proteas and England’s Vitality Roses. The two sides will meet in a crunch fixture on Thursday at 22:00 to decide their fate in the group. Both fixtures come within 48 hours of each other, leaving Van Dyk’s charges little room for error.

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