The Silver Ferns continued their dominance over the Proteas with a commanding 77–51 win in the first of three internationals in Auckland, remarkably the 37th time New Zealand have beaten South Africa in 39 matches between the two countries.
The teams last met during the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town, where they played to a dramatic 48-48 draw. This fixture was also the first time since 2018 that South Africa faced New Zealand on their home soil.
The Proteas started brightly, converting their opening centre pass to take an early lead, but the Ferns’ experience quickly showed as they surged ahead to a 20-8 advantage by the first break.
South Africa’s attacking duo of Rolene Streutker and Kamogelo Maseko struggled to find rhythm early, combining for just eight goals from 15 attempts. Coach Jenny van Dyk introduced Elmere van der Berg in the second quarter, and she made an immediate impact, but New Zealand maintained their stranglehold, dominating the quarter 21–14 to lead 41-22 at halftime.
In the third quarter, van Dyk turned to her bench, bringing in Tarle Mathe, Nichole Breedt and Jamie van Wyk to inject fresh energy. Midway through, the Proteas suffered a blow when captain Khanyisa Chawane was forced off with injury, with Maseko returning to the court. The Silver Ferns capitalised, taking the championship quarter 17-13 and extending their lead to 58-35.
South Africa continued to battle in the final quarter, showing glimpses of resilience, but the Silver Ferns’ composure, speed and clinical finishing saw them close out a 77-51 victory.
Afterwards Van Dyk reflected: “We are obviously disappointed with the results, this is not how we were hoping the game would end. The damage was done already in the first quarter – the speed, the precision, and the momentum. We had done our homework and prepared as best as we could. This is not the start that we wanted however we will go back and regroup. This is not how we envisioned to start our international campaign. Our players now understand that there is a standard that we need to adhere to, we need to put in the work, and level up. We have a lot of work to do before the next match and that is what we are going to do.”
