She Cranes set for Fast 5 World Nettball Series

The national netball team, She Cranes is set for another big show in New Zealand following their invite to the Fast5 Netball World Series. 

She Cranes will be playing in the Fast5 for the second time, following their debut in 2022. At the 2022 Fast5 World Netball Series, Uganda finished fifth and was named the tournament's fans' favorite team for putting up a vibrant show. 

The She Cranes will be competing alongside five other netball giants: South Africa, Australia, England, Jamaica, and the host nation, New Zealand. 

Centre player Margaret Baagala says that playing at Fast5 is one of the greatest opportunities any netball player could hope for.

"I had the opportunity to be part of the She Cranes team that was in New Zealand in 2022. This is one of the tournaments I have enjoyed most because it has a lot of fun. She Cranes became known the world over for the joy we brought to court through our dance moves. However, being a five-player game, it calls for a lot of energy from the center player, not like the normal game of five," Baagala explained. 

Goalkeeper Faraidah Kadondi, like her teammate Baagala, expresses her excitement about the invitation to play in New Zealand. She adds that playing alongside the world's best netball countries gives players a lot of confidence.

Just like Baagala, goalkeeper Faraidah Kadondi expressed her excitement at the invitation to play in New Zealand. She adds that playing alongside the world's best netball countries gives players a lot of exposure. 

She Cranes captain Iren Eyaru is excited about the exposure that comes with playing at Fast5.

"I was super excited to take part in Fast5 for the first time because that is what many of the players wished for. Fast5 rules are different from the normal netball rules. We were not well versed with the rules at first, but thanks to the coaches, they helped us adjust quickly before and during the tournament. We cannot wait to face the netball giants again," Eyaru explained.

The Fast5 World Netball Series brings together the top six ranked countries in the world. Currently, Uganda is ranked 6th globally and second in Africa, below South Africa. Australia is ranked number one in the world, New Zealand is second, England is third, and Jamaica is fourth. 

Differently from the normal netball Fast5 is played by 10 players with five each five. These include; goal shooter, goal attacker, center player, goalkeeper and goal defender leaving aside wing defender and wing attacker 

The Fast5 Netball World Series is set for November 9 to 10 at Christchurch Arena in New Zealand.