NWU Eagles crowned Varsity Netball 2025 champions after epic comeback

Siraj Kamedien
1 day ago
2 min read

The Varsity Netball 2025 final at the Callie Human Hall in Bloemfontein delivered every ounce of drama fans could have hoped for. In front of a buzzing crowd, NWU overturned the odds to defeat defending champions UFS Kovsies 57–49.

It is the Eagles’ third Varsity Netball title, and their first since 2016. The last time they played in a final was in 2022 when they were beaten by Maties.

After the singing of the national anthem, the first quarter got underway with NWU striking first to put points on the board, while Kovsies took time to find their rhythm. That shifted when Liame de Lange intercepted a crucial NWU pass, allowing Kovsies to level the score moments later. The home side then pulled ahead, but NWU responded smartly by slowing down the tempo and executing precise passes to close the gap. Both teams made scoring difficult with strong defensive work and sharp attacking play, trading goals in a tightly contested opening period. Kovsies held a narrow 13–12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Kovsies realised that simply matching NWU goal for goal wouldn’t be enough. The defending champions attempted longer, riskier passes but their accuracy began to falter. Eagles defenders Jessica Matjiu and Martine Jordaan worked tirelessly to curb Mari du Raan’s goal-scoring rhythm. As a result, both sides only managed to double their tallies. At halftime, Kovsies maintained a narrow 26–24 lead.

The penultimate 15 minutes saw the Eagles’ Sunel Smit make full use of her height advantage to keep the scoreboard ticking. In midfield, Tandolwetho Mokoena disrupted several NWU attacking plays at crucial moments, lifting the home crowd, who cheered loudly with every Kovsies goal. With both teams still holding back their power plays, the stage was set for a tense final quarter. While Kovsies maintained their consistent strike rate of 13 goals per quarter, NWU slipped further behind, managing only 10 in the period and the scoreboard read 39–34.

In the final quarter, Du Raan and Xandri Fourie combined to dominate the Kovsies’ attacking circle, keeping their team in contention. After the first power play, the scores were level with six minutes remaining, setting up a thrilling finish. But as soon as NWU edged ahead, the Kovsies supporters were silenced for the first time all evening. During the second power play, Kovsies appeared deflated as NWU piled on unanswered goals, surging to a substantial lead. They sealed the victory with a final score of 57-49.

Quarter scores: 13-12 | 26-24 | 39-34 | 49-57

FNB Player of the Match: Sunel Smith (NWU)

FNB Player of the Tournament: Reratilwe Letsoalo (UFS Kovsies)

Suzuki Players’ Player of the Tournament: Cornelia Mupenda (UJ)

UFS Kovsies: Liame de Lange, Reratilwe Letsoalo, Elene Vosloo, Xandri Fourie, Charne van Vuuren, Chanique Eyberg, Mari du Raan, Thando Mokoena, Leane Otto, Megan Erasmus, Siyamthandanda Sambo, Mienke Delport.

NWU: Sunel Smit, Jaime Matfield, Andrya Joubert, Jessica Matjiu, Johanné Meyer, Amori Matthee, Christi-Mari Coetzee, Vivian Venancio, Jade Egwatu, Liane van Lochem, Casey Davids, Johanne Meyer, Martiné Jordaan.