Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
MUTARE netball powerhouse, Santa Queens, have frog-jumped into the top three of the Rainbow Netball League (RANL), a move that keeps their podium dream alive as the 2026 season heads for a close.
The Mutare outfit was lying fifth before climbing to third on the log standings after collecting four points at Khami.
The rise aligns with the club’s target of finishing among the Top Three when the curtain comes down on the 2026 RANL season.
Santa Queens will seek to cement their place in the Top Three when they travel to Bulawayo this weekend for a bubble pitting ZRP Mambas and GreenFuel at Mkushi Academy.
The Mutare side is yet to play the two teams ahead of them — Correctional Queens and Glow Petroleum.
Coach, Simbarashe Mlambo, is a satisfied man after his club’s sterling performance in the previous bubble, which earned them a place among the Top Three.
“I think the girls are playing well. After this bubble, in which we picked very crucial points, it helps us gain the confidence we need moving forward. We are happy to be in the Top Three, and this has been our aim to be part of the Top Three at the end of the season. We still have some tricky matches ahead, but with the confidence that we are gaining with each passing bubble, we are confident of attaining our envisaged goals,” said Mlambo.
The Mutare outfit faces a tight run if they are to finish second.
They meet Correctional Queens in Hwange, and then face a daunting home task against pacesetters, Glow Petroleum next week.
Before that, they face fourth-placed, GreenFuel and Mambas this weekend — tricky encounters given that Mambas will be at home at Mkushi Academy, while the Ethanol Girls of Chisumbanje, GreenFuel, are no pushovers on any given day.
“We are entering a decisive phase. Next weekend we are playing against Glow Petroleum at home, and the following week we play Correctional Queens in Hwange. So we are playing all the giants consecutively, and it is a tight run for us, and it will test our character. This is a litmus test, and we need to prove that we can also contest for the top spot next season if we beat these three teams in a row,” said Mlambo.
Santa sails into Top Three
