Venancio sisters face off at Varsity Netball
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
For NWU Eagles player Vivian Venancio, beating UP-Tuks by one goal during the first bumper weekend of Varsity Netball 2026 came with an extra reward – bragging rights at home. Standing on the other side of the court in a Stripe Generation outfit, was her younger sister, Kayla, turning a close Varsity Netball match into a family battle.
For Vivian, family ties had to be put aside once the whistle was blown.
“It was definitely quite interesting because we have always played on the same side, so playing against each other was a completely different experience. Once the whistle blew, she was still my sister, but at the same time, she was my opponent and I had a job to do.”
Kayla shares the same approach. The younger sister said there was no room for sibling love during the match.
“The competitiveness 100% takes over. In the heat of the game, I don’t see my sister. I just see a fierce NWU player standing between my team and a win.”
Both sisters take their netball seriously. Kayla says this means giving everything for their teams, regardless of who is standing across the court.
“We owe it to our respective teams to give 100%. But the moment that final whistle goes, the competitive switch goes off, and she went right back to being my sister, even if she was the sister who just won by one goal.”
Vivian says their competitive nature is nothing new. They grew up challenging each other and learnt not to take competition personally.
“We have always had healthy competition growing up, so we know how to compete against each other without taking it personally.”
Kayla admits that her older sister was making the most of the victory.
“The bragging rights are currently in full effect. She definitely got a few friendly jabs in, and I had to hit her with the classic ‘just wait until the next game’ glare.”
Their family faces a different challenge – deciding who to support.
Vivian says they are often “stuck between a rock and a hard place” when the sisters play against each other. Kayla describes them as the “ultimate neutral party”.
“Their hearts are just overflowing with pride seeing both of us out there on a stage as big as Varsity Netball,” Kayla says.
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