South African netball coach Jabulani Vilane has arrived in Zimbabwe for a two-week coaching clinic with Santa Queens Netball Club, Fanzone can exclusively reveal.
The former Puma Proteas coach, who guided South Africa to gold at the Africa Netball Cup Championships in Malawi last month, is in Mutare to help Santa Queens fine-tune their preparations for the 2026 Rainbow Amateur Netball League (RANL) season.
”Santa Queens invited me to come and assist them in preparation of their league, of which we came and we are working very well with the team,” Vilane told Fanzone.
Vilane who celebrated his birthday on Monday, revealed the love and camaraderie he received in Mutare.
”The management and the players are so welcoming, they wished me a happy belated birthday since yesterday (Monday) was my birthday. I’m still enjoying been here and I hope we will have a good relationship with the club going forward,” said Vilane.
The South African was impressed with the current group of players that Santa Queens have assembled, adding that he will instill some a few skills as the coaching clinic progresses.
”With the group of players they have they are going to have an interesting league with the skill that we are trying to incorporate. Their fitness level is they are still there but there are a few skills that we need to put into their game and they will be good to go,” added Vilane.
Santa Queens Netball Club Manager Stanley Chiwambutsa revealed how they met Vilane in Malawi during the Africa Netball Cup and believes the now unattached coach will bring valuable input to the Santa Queens brand.
”We met coach Jabu in Malawi when we was coaching the South African men’s Netball team during the Africa Cup. We had some talks outside netball and we became friends. As you understand he is no longer with the South African national netball team and he said he can be always be coming and helping us with some coaching clinics,” said Chiwambutsa.
Santa Queens boasts of Perisinevi Taviroona in their ranks, the Goal Keeper who plays for the Zimbabwe National Netball Team, the Gems, and Chiwambutsa believes the next two weeks will be invaluable for them with Vilane’s input.
”So he is here I think for the next two weeks. He took his time off at his workplace to come specifically for Santa Queens, this is his first day here, and already he is impressed with what he is seeing,” added Chiwambutsa.
Having finished fourth in last year’s RANL regular season, Santa Queens are looking to take their game to the next level, and Vilane’s expertise is a major boost to their preparations.
