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Netball fever in the air as the TNL promises a bigger and better season

By Siyasanga Monoalibe
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The 2026 TNL season will officially get underway with Power Week One in KwaZulu-Natal from 24 April to 2 May at the Durban University of Technology (Steve Biko Campus)./ SUPPLIED
Staunch netball lovers were met with excitement and anticipation this week when the Telkom Netball League (TNL) launched for its seventh successive season. The last time they probably felt like this was in February during the Spar Challenge against England.
That netball fever is now back, and the TNL promises to be bigger and better this year, featuring the best provincial teams from across the country.
“The Telkom Netball League continues to be the heartbeat of netball in South Africa. Every year, this league showcases the incredible depth of talent that exists across the country and plays a vital role in building the pipeline for the Spar Proteas,” said Netball South Africa
president Mami Diale.
The TNL was first established in 2014 as the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League, but later rebranded under the title sponsorship of Telkom in 2019. It is South Africa’s premier semi-professional netball competition, organised by Netball SA.
Now firmly established as the country’s leading netball competition, the TNL continues to play a critical role in the growth of the sport, providing a platform for players to progress to the national team, the Spar Proteas, while inspiring the next generation of netball talent across South Africa.
Defending champions:
The Golden Fireballs secured their second TNL title last season, including an unbeaten run in 2025. The Fireballs will be looking to defend their crown and hope for their star players, Owethu Ngubane and Tarle Mathe, to pick up from where they left off last year and guide them to another title.
List of previous TNL winners:
The TNL has seen the Gauteng Jaguars hold the record for the most titles with six championships in the last couple of years. Their dominance was rife between 2017 and 2021.
The Jaguars are followed by the runners-up of last year, Free State Crinums, who have managed to win four titles. The Crinums were dominant in the early days of the competition.
Former TNL players now abroad:
Inasmuch as the questions surrounding the slow growth and impact of netball in the country, tournaments like the TNL have contributed immensely to producing national team stars, who have gone and caught the eyes of several clubs abroad.
Players like Kamogelo Maseko, Elmeré van der Berg, Ané Retief, Rolene Streutker, Jamie van Wyk, Sanmarie Visser, and Proteas captain Khanyisa Chawane, just to name a few.
Players to look out for this season:
Last year, the likes of Ngubane, Mathe, Visser, and Refiloe Nketsa all walked away with top tournament accolades.
This year, with Visser now plying her trade abroad, the other three stars are expected to pick up from where they left off and deliver a show once again. There are, however, plenty of other players who have shown their potential, such as rock-solid defender Thulisile Maduna and Nozipho Ntshangase.
The 2026 season will officially get underway with Power Week One in KwaZulu-Natal from April 24 to May 2 at the Durban University of Technology’s Steve Biko Campus, while Power Week Two will take place in Johannesburg at Ellis Park from May 22 to 31, before the final week of the tournament takes place from June 12 to 15.
  • The Telkom Netball League (TNL) launched its seventh consecutive season this week.
  • The event generated excitement and anticipation among netball enthusiasts.
  • The last comparable excitement was during the Spar Challenge against England in February.
  • The league continues to be a significant event for netball fans.
  • Full details of the story are available in the Sunday World e-edition.
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Staunch netball lovers were met with excitement and anticipation this week when the Telkom Netball League (TNL) launched for its seventh successive season. The last time they probably felt like this was in February during the Spar Challenge against England.
That netball fever is now back, and the TNL promises to be bigger and better this year, featuring the best provincial teams from across the country.
“The Telkom Netball League continues to be the heartbeat of netball in South Africa. Every year, this league showcases the incredible depth of talent that exists across the country and plays a vital role in building the pipeline for the Spar Proteas,” said Netball South Africa
president Mami Diale.
The TNL was first established in 2014 as the Brutal Fruit Netball Premier League, but later rebranded under the title sponsorship of Telkom in 2019. It is South Africa’s premier semi-professional netball competition, organised by Netball SA.
Now firmly established as the country’s leading netball competition, the TNL continues to play a critical role in the growth of the sport, providing a platform for players to progress to the national team, the Spar Proteas, while inspiring the next generation of netball talent across South Africa.
Defending champions:
The Golden Fireballs secured their second TNL title last season, including an unbeaten run in 2025. The Fireballs will be looking to defend their crown and hope for their star players, Owethu Ngubane and Tarle Mathe, to pick up from where they left off last year and guide them to another title.
List of previous TNL winners:
The TNL has seen the Gauteng Jaguars hold the record for the most titles with six championships in the last couple of years. Their dominance was rife between 2017 and 2021.
The Jaguars are followed by the runners-up of last year, Free State Crinums, who have managed to win four titles. The Crinums were dominant in the early days of the competition.
Former TNL players now abroad:
Inasmuch as the questions surrounding the slow growth and impact of netball in the country, tournaments like the TNL have contributed immensely to producing national team stars, who have gone and caught the eyes of several clubs abroad.
Players like Kamogelo Maseko, Elmeré van der Berg, Ané Retief, Rolene Streutker, Jamie van Wyk, Sanmarie Visser, and Proteas captain Khanyisa Chawane, just to name a few.
Players to look out for this season:
Last year, the likes of Ngubane, Mathe, Visser, and Refiloe Nketsa all walked away with top tournament accolades.
This year, with Visser now plying her trade abroad, the other three stars are expected to pick up from where they left off and deliver a show once again. There are, however, plenty of other players who have shown their potential, such as rock-solid defender Thulisile Maduna and Nozipho Ntshangase.
The 2026 season will officially get underway with Power Week One in KwaZulu-Natal from April 24 to May 2 at the Durban University of Technology’s Steve Biko Campus, while Power Week Two will take place in Johannesburg at Ellis Park from May 22 to 31, before the final week of the tournament takes place from June 12 to 15.