Western Cape Southern Sting goal shooter, Nichole Taljaard.
Nichole Taljaard (born 3 May 1997) is a South African netball player who has represented many teams and won many titles. She is a Varsity Netball legend and was the 2021 Player of the Tournament.
In the 10th edition of the Fast5 World Series in New Zealand, she returned as the player of the series. She also helped the Proteas pick to win a silver medal. She is a Maties Sports legend.
| Nichole Taljaard | |
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| Short Profile | |
| Full Name: | Nichole Taljaard |
| Born: | 3 May 1997 (age 26 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Cape Town |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Parents: | Carel (father), Dierdré (mother) |
| Siblings: | 4 |
| High school: | Hoërskool Stellenberg |
| Alma mater: | Stellenbosch University |
| Occupation: | Netball player |
| Position: | Goal Attack, Goal Shooter |
| Height: | 1.77m |
| Partner/Fiancé: | Tommie Breedt |
Early Life
Nichole Taljaard was born on 3 May 1997 in Cape Town to her father, Carel, and her late mother, Dierdré. She lost her mother to cancer. Her father watches her games and analyses them for her.
Growing up, she was a multi-sport athlete, played tennis, and participated in athletics. The netball legend is one of five siblings and started playing netball at age five.
However, netball remained her number-one love. Her older sister played netball too, so when they needed someone to fill in, Nichole did. So loved it and has never stopped. At primary school, she played at least five different sports.
Education
Nichole Taljaard had her high school education at Hoërskool Stellenberg. She was a regular on the first team and represented her former school in national competitions.
Nichole holds a BSc in Sports Science and now Post Graduate Certificate in Education. She is a Stellenbosch University graduate.
Career
Taljaard tried at least five positions as a netball player before settling into goal-attack. She has represented many teams, including Western Cape Southern Stings in the Telkom Netball League and Cape Winelands in Spar National Netball Championships.
Nichole represented in the President’s XII at the Spar Challenge Tri-Nations tournament. She led Cape Winelands to the Spar National Netball title. She earned the title of Best Shooter at the competition.
Taljaard was among the Western Cape Southern Stings, who finished second at the Telkom Netball League. She played for the Maties team at the Varsity Netball tournament.
At Fast 5, her team played six to eight games in two days and had two or three days to prepare. The Proteas defeated New Zealand in the round-robin stages. However, they went down to Australia in the final.
Personal Life
Nichole Taljaard has a fiancé, Tommie Breedt. They have been together for over ten years and became engaged about two years ago.
When she is not playing netball or training, she enjoys trying out new food and braaing with friends and family. She also loves surfing and spending time with her fiancé. They have a dog, Ben.