She Cranes ready for action in New Zealand

New Zealand | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s national netball team, the She Cranes, has arrived in New Zealand for the Fast5 Netball World Series, set to take place from November 9 to 10.

Head coach Nelson Bogere selected a squad of ten players last week, including Mary Nuba, Shadia Nasanga, Christine Kango, Irene Eyaru, Margaret Bagaala, Joyce Nakibuule, Sandra Nambirige, Christine Nakiito, Hanisha Muhameed, and Faridah Kadondi.

The team selection followed two weeks of rigorous training held at Lugogo Indoor Stadium and Hamz Stadium Nakivubo, which began on October 14, 2024. The team was officially flagged off by State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang last Saturday.

She Cranes player Hanisha Muhammed expressed confidence in the team’s preparation, noting that this is their second appearance at the tournament. She feels the experience from their first outing provides a valuable starting point this time around.

Captain Irene Eyaru echoed this sentiment, affirming that their time spent training in Kampala has prepared them well for the tournament’s challenges, despite the disruption caused by nearly a year without league play due to administrative issues.

This will be the She Cranes’ second international tournament of the year, following the Vitality Netball Nations Cup and the Wales Test Series played in January. However, the team has missed other global events due to ongoing conflicts within Uganda’s netball administration, which recently led the National Council of Sports to revoke the federation’s certificate of recognition.

This is also Uganda’s second time competing in the Fast5 tournament. In their debut in 2022, the She Cranes finished fifth, accumulating four points across five games in a round-robin format. They claimed two victories, including notable wins against top-ranked Australia and Jamaica, but fell to New Zealand, England, and South Africa.

Fast5 Tournament Format and Rules  

The Fast5 format varies significantly from traditional netball. Matches last only 24 minutes, divided into six-minute quarters. There are three scoring zones, with goals shot from outside the goal circle worth three points, and inside shots worth two or one point, depending on the zone.

Each team has only five players on the court at a time, omitting the wing attack and wing defence positions. Substitutions are unlimited and can be made at any time from the substitution box.

After each goal, unlike traditional netball, the team that did not score takes the next centre pass, regardless of prior possession.

One of the unique features of Fast5 is the Power Play. This year’s tournament will extend the Power Play from 90 seconds to the final two minutes of each quarter.

During this period, goals from the two-point or three-point zones will be worth double, but one-point shots will remain the same, encouraging teams to shoot from a longer range.

A new rule, “using possession,” will also be under trial this year. Once the ball progresses out of one-third towards the attacking goal, it cannot be passed back into that third by the attacking team, thus preventing time-wasting through repeated back-passing.

Fast5 was introduced in 2008 to create a faster-paced, more television-friendly version of netball. The first international series was held in 2009.

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URN