FROM PLAYING WITH PLASTIC BALLS TO THE HIGHEST NETBALL RANK

Dushe, an indigenous game played with a  plastic ball by young girls in rural areas was just a stepping stone for  Walter Sisulu University’s  (WSU) netball coach, Nonyameko Rulumeni who has just been promoted to be a national netball  umpire.

The new national umpire who  is  a WSU Bachelor of Education graduate received this promotion at the 2024 University Sports South Africa (USSA) Netball Championship.

“I was inspired by my late coach Nocamagu Mvunyiswa who then introduced me to umpiring and netball coaching through positioning players and applying for coaching,” said Rulumeni who is currently a level 2 coach in the Netball ranks.

Rulumeni has been officiating district and  provincial Netball games in the schools league as a provincial umpire with level 2 C+ grading which qualified her to coach the WSU Netball team.

“It was a such nice experience, the adrenaline rush was intense but I still had to believe in myself , pull up my socks and stick to the rules of the game whilst showcasing my skills and as a result managed to acquire the new role of being national Umpire,” said Rulumeni

Through the hard work she had shown in officiating the Netball USSA games she was then promoted from being a provincial umpire to become a national umpire with the level 3 B grading.

Rulumeni does not only coach the WSU Netball team but also serves in the technical team as she is now a qualified National Umpire as a result of officiating this year’s USSA  games where she got a better grading which now qualifies her to be a national umpire.

By Mivuyo Mncela