The SPAR Proteas will host England’s Vitality Roses in a highly anticipated three-match series at Ellis Park Arena this week, with both sides eyeing crucial preparation ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
The world’s fourth and fifth-ranked teams resume their fierce rivalry on Thursday evening, following their evenly matched encounters at last year’s Nations Cup in the United Kingdom, where each side claimed a victory.
This week’s SPAR Challenge carries added significance as the arch-rivals will meet again in Glasgow later this year, having been drawn together in the same Commonwealth Games pool.
“I think with eyes on the Commonwealth Games, this is great preparation for us as a country to see what type of combinations work best against the combinations that they put out there,” said SPAR Proteas coach Jenny van Dyk.
Van Dyk emphasised the importance of home advantage, adding: “They need to feel a little bit of our environment, so we’re hoping that the crowds will come out and give them that true South African feel to the game as well.”
SPAR Proteas captain Khanyisa Chawane brimmed with confidence ahead of the series opener, highlighting her squad’s unpredictability.
“The team that’s going to face them now is not the same. We’ve got new people who have new things to give,” said Chawane. “With England we never really want to step back, we are going to go in hard, we want to win this series and that’s what we’re looking forward to.”
England coach Jess Thirlby praised the quality these encounters have produced over the years, describing the rivalry as offering “a different style to match-ups between ourselves and Australia and New Zealand.”
“We really respect the passion and the momentum that the Proteas have had over the last 18 months,” Thirlby added. “We believe them to be a South African team on the rise.”
England captain Fran Wilson acknowledged the importance of exposing newer squad members to the South African challenge. “I’m expecting similar rivalry to what we had last January, but here on your home soil,” she said.
The opening match commences at 6pm on Thursday, 29 January, with subsequent matches scheduled for Saturday, 31 January (5pm) and Sunday, 1 February (4pm). South Africa’s men’s team will face Australia before each fixture.
You must be logged in to post a comment.