Just as in 2024, only a single goal separated the teams at the end – but it was all Johannesburg needed to secure another historic victory.
The win came as a massive relief for Johannesburg coach and former SPAR Proteas captain Elsjé Jordaan, whose team endured a roller-coaster week. They opened their campaign with a loss to the very same Cape Town side on Monday, followed by a draw against Mangaung on Tuesday, leaving them under early pressure.
“I actually have no words, I’m so proud,” said an emotional Jordaan after the final whistle. “The growth over the week is just amazing. There was so much pressure on us with all the JNA teams performing so well, we couldn’t let them down,” she said.
Captain Tinita van Dyk praised her team’s resilience and the lessons learned from a difficult start.
“Our tournament started really difficult. I think it was good that we struggled so much on the first day,” she reflected. That forced us to really go back to the drawing board and see what we had to improve on. I think it was good that we didn’t have it easy.”
Speaking on the final, Van Dyk added: “It was a massive fight from the team. It was a much better start than yesterday. Very relieved about the start that we had. I think that gave the whole team a bit of confidence to know that we were in it. We just needed to play our own netball in our own time until the end, and I think that’s what helped us in the end.”
Cape Town goal attack and SPAR Proteas player Nicholé Breedt said her side could hold their heads high despite falling short after an unbeaten run during the week.
“I said at the beginning of the tournament that the team that’s going to win is the team that’s going to make the least amount of mistakes,” she said. “Unfortunately, we were the ones letting ourselves down… But I must give it to Johannesburg. They worked really hard today from beginning to end.”
Breedt added that Cape Town had grown significantly through the week and promised they would return stronger in future tournaments.
In the senior 3rd/4th playoff, Mangaung claimed a narrow 54–53 victory over Dr Kenneth Kaunda in another tightly contested encounter.
Johannesburg also celebrated success in the Under-21 A Section, powering to a 44–33 win over Dr Kenneth Kaunda to retain their title. Guided by former SPAR Proteas captain Bongi Msomi, the young side looked in control throughout, racing to a 12–5 lead after the first quarter and maintaining their advantage.
Msomi expressed pride in her team’s development over the past two years.
“It feels really good,” she said. “It’s funny how we talk about being an underdog one year, then the next year you’re actually a threat. We’re doing really well as a district, but the challenge is to maintain this.”
Netball South Africa president Mami Diale hailed the importance of the championships, emphasising its role in identifying talent and strengthening pathways into elite netball.