Cape Town - Aspiring Women’s Springbok players from various schools in Cape Town had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play rugby with six international teams yesterday at the Green Point Track.
The event was organised by World Rugby in partnership with Western Province Rugby, where 250 learners from areas including Delft, Khayelitsha, Kraaifontein and Langa, who play rugby for their schools in the U14 and U15 age category, were able to play alongside the international women’s teams from South Africa, Wales, Japan, Italy, Australia and Scotland.
Different stations were set up with various training and coaching drills where the learners were able to engage with the players directly and enjoy the game of rugby.
Faizel Felton, the senior manager for club rugby at Western Province Rugby, said the aim was for learners to interact with the international players.
“The programme is to create awareness and get girls motivated to play rugby. While the focus is on rugby, the main aim is on education by trying to use sport as a tool to empower the young ladies and give them great opportunities.
“There are children gifted in the classroom but there are also children gifted on the sports field. We have plenty of talent, it is just about creating a pathway and support and making sure they have all the tools they need to engage in the sport,” Felton said.
Libbie Janse van Rensburg, fly-half for the women’s Boks, said opportunities like these inspire young girls to want to play rugby.
“It is important for these girls to see us interacting with them by getting out and putting in the effort because we have the ability to come out and inspire some of these young girls, which is what we really want to do.
“Back in the day when I was a child, we had nothing like this. I did not even know about women’s rugby until very late when I got exposed to it.
“These kinds of initiatives will also help women’s rugby grow in South Africa,” Janse van Rensburg said.
Each learner was given a sports bra and education on how it should fit.
Dhaakirah Sampson from Strandfontein High School said her dream is to play for the Boks.
“I am enjoying this so much. I have been playing rugby for my school for two years but having the privilege of playing with the South African team is very motivational,” she said.
marsha.dean@inl.co.za