It is the ultimate African netball rivalry, and it is coming to a court before the Commonwealth Games.
South Africa has confirmed that the Spar Proteas will face Uganda’s She Cranes in a high-profile series of warm-up matches, serving as the final crucible for both nations ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
While friendly matches are traditionally treated as quiet experimentation grounds, this fixture carries a distinct edge.
The last time these two African giants crossed paths on the Commonwealth stage in Birmingham, the She Cranes executed a stunning 54-48 upset, dethroning South Africa to claim a historic fifth-place finish and the crown of Africa’s top-ranked netball nation.
It is a psychological scar the South Africans have clearly not forgotten.
Speaking shortly after Netball South Africa and SASCOC confirmed their Commonwealth squad, Proteas head coach Jenny van Dyk openly admitted that the She Cranes are a primary target.
“At the previous Commonwealth Games, we lost to Uganda and that’s something we’ve been talking about a lot,” Van Dyk stated.
“Uganda is a team that we have studied and a team we know, and that’s also why we want to play them before we leave because it’s very important to see where we are at. We are not leaving any stone unturned.”
For South Africa, selecting Uganda as their final spar is an intentional, calculated gamble. They are actively seeking the most physical, tactically fluid opponent on the continent to iron out their flaws.
For Rashid Mubiru and his technical bench at Nakivubo, the fixture offers a double-edged sword. On one hand, tests against a world-class South African side provide the exact high-intensity pressure needed to gauge the fitness of the 20-plus local players currently grinding through double sessions in Kampala.
On the other hand, playing their continental rivals so close to the tournament means exposing their tactical cards.
Netball Uganda President Jocelyn Ucanda recently acknowledged that while the foundation is rock solid bolstered by regional successes like Uganda Prisons clinching the East African Club Championship the team is racing against financial and logistical hurdles to lock down consistent residential training.
Facing South Africa under-prepared is a risk, but it is a test the team needs if they are to survive a brutal Commonwealth group stage that features global powerhouses New Zealand and Jamaica.