Proteas skipper Msomi can phone a friend in Kolisi and Co. ahead of Netball World Cup

The year 2023 has seen the rise of the South African sportswoman in various disciplines and next month will be the turn of Proteas captain Bongiwe Msomi as she leads the national netball team at a home World Cup.

As it happens, South Africa, rich in sporting history and heroes, provides Msomi with plenty of material to draw inspiration from: among them are 2019 World Cup-winning Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, women's cricket captain Sune Luus of the famed Newlands final against Australia, and the African queens Banyana Banyana, who were crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions last year.

The World Cup, a first for netball on African soil, gets under way from 28 July to 8 August in Cape Town.

The Proteas are in Pool C, alongside Jamaica, Wales and Sri Lanka, with their opening encounter against the Welsh set for 28 July.

Experienced centre Msomi, who herself is appearing in a fourth World Cup, said she would be reaching out to Kolisi and other inspirational figures in South African sport to understand what it means to play in and win a World Cup.

"It's something that I'm definitely looking to do. I'm lucky to have a guy like Siya Kolisi [to have a nice chat with]," Msomi told reporters on Tuesday.

"Just to hear their views and see how we can take on this journey and hear it from the people who have been through it and who have done really well.

"So, we're following in steps with people who are really leading in their own spaces.

"I think we're quite lucky that we can actually use their resources to make sure that, when we get there, we are ready in all aspects and we can give it our best shot."

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The Proteas finished fourth in January's Quad