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Gauteng Golden Fireballs midcourt star Tarle Mathe grew up idolising a legend, Bongiwe Msomi. The pintsize and agile Msomi came from humble beginnings to become one of the most revered players to take to the netball court. This inspired Mathe to work hard on her game and set her sights to becoming a national team player.
The Fireballs are looking to defend their Telkom Netball League title in the 2026 edition of the competition. They are one of three teams to have won South Africa’s premium netball league. The Gauteng Jaguars and the Free State Crinums are the other two. The TNL, which kicked off on 24 April at the Durban University of Technology, Durban, will run until 15 June and will be hosted between KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
The Fireballs’ assistant coach became a practical and realistic role model for Mathe. Msomi played in the same position and they had similar backgrounds. This made Mathe realise that she can get to the highest level of the sport.
“The people I looked up to in my early days include my current coach, coach Bongi on how no matter the circumstances she came from, a small township like Hammerdale and making it into the national team. I pictured myself as a young Bongi while I was growing up,” explains Mathe.
The courts in her township is where she fell in love with netball.
“My netball journey started at a young age in my township, that is where I first discovered my love for the sport. There weren’t many opportunities that we would get as a small community but the love of the sport kept me going. The consistency, dedication and learning from every match helped me to grow to being the player I am today.
“I would describe my netball career as exciting but also challenging and full of growth. Every season brings new lessons and opportunities to improve. I am so grateful for how far I have come but also there is still more to achieve. I still stay focused on improving each and every game, contributing positively to my team,” she says.
The 2025 TNL Player of the Tournament Division says the league provided her with a platform to better her netball by having her play against the best in the country. She says the competition presented her with opportunities she could only dream of.
“It played a huge role in my journey because it gave me a platform to compete against top players and improve myself at a high level. It helped me to gain exposure, experience and most definitely confidence. Playing in such a competitive environment pushed me to improve, it opened so many doors for big opportunities,” she says.
Mathe admits that her playing position is not the easiest on court. As a midcourt player, she is tasked with connecting the team from one end to the other which requires impeccable fitness and focus.
“Playing midcourt is a demanding position because it requires high fitness levels, the decision making, the constant movement, you have to defend and attack. You have to connect with both ends of the court, it’s a quite challenging position but it also plays a big influence because of the strong transitions, a good combination can change the outcome of a match,” she says.
Mathe will likely compete in her first international competition this year. She is part of the 17 players that Netball South Africa has contracted for the next 12 months, making her eligible to be part of team South Africa that will travel to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this year. Mathe realises what is at stake as a national team player.
“Being part of the contracted Proteas is a huge honour also a big responsibility. It means representing my country at the highest level and carrying the pride of South Africa with me every time I step onto the court. It also reminds me that the hard work pays off but it comes with the responsibility of having to keep improving and inspiring young players,” she says.
Over the last few years South Africa saw a rise in players getting professional contracts overseas. This year a total of 16 players were drafted in four overseas leagues including the United Kingdom’s Netball Super League, the Australian Suncorp Super League, the Malaysian Netball Super League as well as New Zealand’s ANZ Championship. The Durbanite says she hopes someday her netball journey will lead to an international contract.
“My aspirations are to keep growing as a player, perform consistently at international level and become on of the best in my position. Playing in the top leagues like the SSN and NSL is definitely a dream because it will challenge me against the best in the world and help me develop further,” she says.
Getting to the championship requires consistency and Mathe says this is similar to this season’s TNL slogan #TelkomStandTall: From First Pass to Crown.
“The slogan to me means that success starts from the very first moment you step onto court. Every pass, every training session and every decision matters in the journey to become champions. It reminds us that the crown is not won in one game, it is built through discipline, team work and consistency from the very beginning,” she explains.
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