The Telkom Netball League semi-finals produced drama across both divisions as the unbeaten Free State Crinums and the Golden Fireballs advanced to the Division 1 final, while the Western Cape Tornados and the Kingdom Queens set up the Division 2 decider, at Rembrandt Hall, University of Pretoria, on Saturday, 13 June 2026.
The stakes could not have been higher as the semi-finals took centre stage, with teams leaving everything on court in pursuit of a place in the championship finals. The Free State Crinums were first to book their spot in the Division 1 final, keeping their unbeaten record intact with a 60-37 win over the Gauteng Jaguars.
The Crinums exerted pressure on every line from the outset and moved six goals clear midway through the first quarter. The momentum prompted the Jaguars to make two positional changes, with Tshinakaho Mdau moving from centre to wing attack and Caroline Paul shifting to centre. Despite the changes, the Jaguars added only two more goals and trailed 16-7 at the end of the first quarter.
The Gauteng side had a more disciplined start to the second quarter and played to their strengths, and the game became more defensive as the quarter score was deadlocked at 4-4 midway. Jaguars goal attack Neo Mosweu converted two two-pointers during the Supershot period to try to keep her side in contention, but the Crinums refused to back down and took an eleven-goal lead into half-time.
The relentless Jaguars reduced the margin to nine goals early in the third quarter, courtesy of an intercept from wing defence Phophi Nematangari. With both teams going toe-to-toe for possession, the quarter score was locked at 8-8 with five minutes left. The Crinums then shifted gears and suffocated the Jaguars attack, keeping them scoreless in the closing five minutes to take a 45-26 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Jaguars grew frustrated as time ran short on a twenty-two-goal deficit, and overcooked feeds into the circle did not help their cause. The Crinums maintained their dominance and showed why they remain unbeaten after thirteen games, overpowering the Jaguars for an emphatic twenty-three-goal victory, and will now face the Golden Fireballs in Monday’s final.
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The Golden Fireballs escaped past the Southern Stings in the second semi-final, winning by three goals in a contest that went down to the wire. The Fireballs broke quickly off turnovers to take an early 19-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Stings enjoyed more possession in the second quarter and converted their chances to win it 11-8. Wing defence Danielle van Nieuwenhuizen produced an astute intercept to help the Stings close the gap to two goals. The Stings used the second Supershot period effectively, scoring a two-pointer and two single shots to level matters at half-time.
Stings coach Dr Freda Kemp called for a strategic stoppage in the third quarter and it made a difference, as the Western Cape side outscored the Fireballs four goals to two after the intervention. The intercept battle saw the Fireballs defensive duo of Cornelia Mupenda and Boitumelo Mahloko sweep a ball away in the circle, but that was quickly nullified by Van Nieuwenhuizen’s intercept. With four goals separating the teams at the start of the fourth quarter, the intensity rose as the sides traded goals. The Fireballs recycled the ball for over a minute during the last Supershot period and eventually secured a vital 57-54 victory and a place in the final.
In Division 2, the Western Cape Tornados and the Kingdom Queens will meet in the final after winning their semi-finals. The Tornados booked their place in the title decider with a 53-45 win over Free State Sonoblomo. The opening minutes were tame as both sides settled, with the score locked at 3-3 inside the first five minutes. The defensive intensity soon rose, and a held ball call against the Tornados allowed Sonoblomo to move two goals clear. The rest of the quarter stayed close, with two goals separating the sides before the first Supershot period, and the Tornados converted four single shots to take a narrow 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Sonoblomo’s defensive unit of wing defence Kekeletso Molotsi, goal defence Lisa van Vuuren and goalkeeper Keevy-Ann Fourie was pivotal in the second quarter, shutting down the Tornados attacking flow. Their pressure disrupted the Tornados movement through the goal third, limiting passing options and forcing the Western Cape side to recycle possession in the centre third. The squeeze paid off, with the Tornados giving away possession under pressure. With four minutes left in the quarter, Sonoblomo had amassed nine intercepts to the Tornados three, and the dominance translated to the scoreboard as Sonoblomo opened a ten-goal lead at half-time.
The Tornados came out with renewed intent in the third quarter, and the introduction of Hannah Kriel at goal attack and Jani Bergh at wing attack brought stability, particularly on attack. Sonoblomo began to dip in momentum as the Tornados used turnovers to reduce the margin to six goals, prompting Sonoblomo coach Jerminah Nteso to call for a strategic time-out. Nteso highlighted the lack of defensive pressure as the Tornados found greater ease feeding the ball into the circle to end the quarter level at 36-36.
With ten minutes left, one goal separated the sides as the intensity reached another level. A missed attempt from Sonoblomo shooter Leane Otto handed the Tornados a chance to extend their advantage, and Kriel made them pay. Clinical under the post, Kriel converted crucial chances and helped stretch the lead to five goals. While both sides created opportunities, shooting accuracy proved decisive, and Sonoblomo’s shooters showed strain against the clock, with Zeluleko Ntombela missing under the post. Kriel’s influence in the shooting circle made the difference, inspiring the Tornados to an eight-goal victory and earning her the Player of the Match award after converting 19 of her 26 attempts and adding four assists.
In the second Division 2 semi-final, the Kingdom Queens outclassed the Limpopo Baobabs 55-49 to set up a final against the Tornados. Both teams played goal-for-goal in the opening six minutes before the Baobabs created separation, leading by three goals after capitalising on Queens misplacements on attack, which forced an early change for the KZN side as Thobekile Mjaja replaced Kwanda Zulu at goal attack. Mjaja converted a two-pointer during the Supershot period shortly after coming on, but Baobabs goal attack Rochelle Maree responded with her own two-pointer, and goal shooter Nompha Raphalalani added a single shot to help the side lead 16-10 at the end of the first quarter.
The Queens carried urgency into the second quarter, capitalising on a Baobabs short pass on the circle edge and converting their own centre pass to move within one goal. The contest developed into an intercept battle, with both goalkeepers producing crucial defensive plays. A timely intercept inside the circle from Queens goalkeeper Ntombenhle Shongwe was converted by shooter Aphiwe Thusini to draw the scores level. As momentum shifted, Baobabs coach Emily Mathosa called for a strategic time-out, urging her players to keep their heads up and maintain intensity. The intervention worked as the Baobabs regained control and built a four-goal lead before the Supershot period, with Maree converting two two-point shots to extend the lead to seven goals at half-time.
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The Queens emerged from the break with fresh resolve and cut the deficit to two goals through relentless defensive pressure, scoring five consecutive goals in the first three minutes of the third quarter. A misplacement in the Baobabs circle then allowed the Queens to level matters, with the score locked at 39-39 heading into the final quarter.
The final fifteen minutes were strongly contested, with a single goal separating the sides halfway through the fourth quarter. A footwork infringement by Maree cost the Baobabs, allowing the Queens to lead by three goals inside the last five minutes. Queens goalkeeper Lonwabo Khumalo, who had replaced Shongwe in the previous quarter, added solidity with a goal third intercept that extinguished the Baobabs comeback hopes as the Queens stretched the lead to seven goals. Although Maree responded with a two-pointer, Thusini converted two single shots to seal a six-goal victory and a Player of the Match performance, finishing with a goal percentage of 94.
The 2026 Telkom Netball League Power Week 3 Results and Fixtures at Rembrandt Hall, University of Pretoria, from Friday, 12 June to Monday, 15 June 2026
Friday, 12 June 2026
D2 Play-off Position 7/8: Mpumalanga Sunbirds 55-49 Eastern Cape Comets
D2 Play-off Position 5/6: Northern Cape Diamonds 40-41 North West Tshukudu
D1 Play-off Position 5/6: North West Flames 51-37 Eastern Cape Aloes
Saturday, 13 June 2026
D2 Semi-Final 1: Western Cape Tornados 53-45 Free State Sonoblomo
D2 Semi-Final 2: Limpopo Baobabs 49-55 Kingdom Queens
D1 Semi-Final 1: Free State Crinums 60-37 Gauteng Jaguars
D1 Semi-Final 2: Golden Fireballs 57-54 Southern Stings
Sunday, 14 June 2026
13h00 D1 Play-off Position 3/4
15h00 D2 Play-off Position 3/4
18h00 Division 2 Final: Western Cape Tornados vs. Kingdom Queens
19h30 Division 2 Medal Ceremony
Monday, 15 June 2026
15h30 Relegation Match: Kingdom Stars vs. Division 2 winner
18h00 Division 1 Final: Free State Crinums vs. Golden Fireballs
19h30 Division 1 Medal Ceremony
Power Week 1 Wrap
Power Week 2 Wrap
Original Copy: Kgotla PR for Netball SA, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: The Free State Crinums kept their unbeaten record intact with a 60-37 win over the Gauteng Jaguars to reach the Division 1 final on semi-final day at the Telkom Netball League final Power Week at Rembrandt Hall, University of Pretoria, on Saturday, 13 June 2026. All Photos: Netball SA
Photo 2 Caption: The Golden Fireballs held off the Southern Stings 57-54 to set up a Division 1 final against the Free State Crinums.
Photo 3 Caption: The Kingdom Queens upset the Limpopo Baobabs 55-49 to meet the Western Cape Tornados in the Division 2 final.
Photo 4 Caption: The Tornados fought back from a half-time deficit to beat Sonoblomo 53-45 for their place in the Division 2 final.
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