Last month, from 12 to 18 July, the Cape Town Ringball district team, led by local ringball coach Johan van der Berg, competed at the National Ringball Championships in Pretoria.
Out of the five senior teams representing the Cape Town district at the national championships, the best-performing team was the Masters Ladies, who claimed gold after defeating Ekurhuleni North 54-44 in the final. In addition to their outstanding performances at the championships, the Cape Town Ringball District was also named District of the Year 2026 by the Ringball Association of South Africa.
“This achievement means a lot because it reflects all the effort I have put in throughout the year. It shows that the sacrifices have not been in vain and that I have been able to make a positive impact on the players,” says van der Berg.
He is now turning his focus to the Junior National Ringball Championships, scheduled to take place from 26 September to 3 October in Limpopo. All of the approximately 50 junior players are from Atlantis. Although ringball is not as widely known as rugby, cricket or netball, it has a proud history in South Africa stretching back more than 100 years. The fast-paced sport, which evolved from basketball and shares similarities with netball, is played competitively in all nine provinces. Teams of nine players work together across three sections of the court, passing the ball between teammates before attempting to score through a raised ring at either end. The sport has also gained an international footprint, with organised competitions in countries including Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, India and Mauritius.
Van der Berg also acknowledged the continuous support of the community, especially through fundraising efforts. “I would like to thank the community for supporting us through our fundraisers. Ringball is an amateur sport, so we do not receive much external funding. Most of our financial support comes from the community,” says van der Berg.
