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Despite playing with only fourteen men in the second half, the Vodacom Bulls managed to snatch a last-gasp 22-20 win over the DHL Western Province in their entertaining Carling Currie Cup Round One match played on Saturday evening in Cape Town.
Lightning brought an early end to the clash in Kimberley where the Xerox Lions were awarded the match 20-17 after threatening weather conditions forced players off the field. Law 5.10 of the competition regulations states that the referee has the power to end or suspend the match at any time if he believes that it would be unsafe to continue. On Friday evening the Cell C Sharks kicked off the weekend’s first-round action at home in Durban and the coastal team comfortably defeated the Phakisa Pumas 45-10, outscoring their Lowveld visitors by seven tries to one. The Toyota Cheetahs had a bye weekend. The full log table of Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked was carried over to the Carling Currie Cup, meaning the Vodacom Bulls are leading the current standings with 27 points on the back of their comeback win over DHL WP in Cape Town. As a result of their bonus-point win over the Phakisa Pumas, the Cell C Sharks occupy second spot on the log with 24 points and they are followed by DHL WP (20), Toyota Cheetahs (17), Xerox Lions (16), Phakisa Pumas (7) and Tafel Lager Griquas (4). Click on the links for the full match reports. Vodacom Bulls snatch thrilling win over DHL Western Province The Vodacom Bulls showed nerves of steel and massive character to defeat the DHL Western Province 22-20 in their North versus South derby played at DHL Newlands on Saturday evening. The teams scored three tries apiece as the lead changed hands several times, however, it was the crucial kick by visiting fly half Chris Smith - to convert a late try by replacement Marco Jansen van Vuren - that clinched victory for the men from Pretoria. Jake White's team showed enormous courage to emerge as winners of this hard-fought derby, considering they had to play almost the entire second half with 14 men as a result of the red card shown to front ranker Jacques van Rooyen. DHL WP fly half, Damian Willemse, had an erratic night with the boot in windy conditions and he missed several penalty attempts and a couple of conversions. Juarno Augustus (No 8), Angelo Davids (right wing) and Ernst van Rhyn (No 7 flank) each scored a try for the Cape side, while Willemse managed one conversion and a penalty goal. Kurt-Lee Arendse (right wing, 2) and Marco Jansen van Vuren (replacement wing) responded with tries for the Vodacom Bulls and Smith added two conversions and a penalty goal. The Cape side enjoyed a 10-5 advantage at the break, having scored a converted try and a penalty goal to the visitors’ unconverted try that opened the scoring. However, the second half burst into thrilling action, with both sides determined to clinch the bragging rights of this traditional rivalry. Crucially, the lead changed hands one last time time when Smith executed a pinpoint cross-kick to find Van Vuren who dived over in the corner. Smith kept his nerve to slot over the vital conversion to hand his side a memorable win. Scorers: DHL Western Province 20 (10) - Try: Juarno Augustus, Angelo Davids, Ernst van Rhyn. Conversion: Damian Willemse. Penalty goal: Willemse. Vodacom Bulls 22 (5) - Tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse (2), Marco Jansen van Vuren. Conversion: Chris Smith (2). Penalty goal: Smith. Xerox Lions get past Tafel Lager Griquas in weather-affected clash The Xerox Lions squeezed a hard-fought 20-17 win out over hosts, Tafel Lager Griquas, in their weather-affected match in Kimberley on Saturday. The team from Jozi were handed the win when an approaching thunderstorm forced the players off the field just five minutes into the second half and when the storm did not subside 30 minutes later, the match was called in favour of the visitors. Having trailed 17-13 at the break, the Joburg side took the lead just a minute before play was halted even though the home team were on the attack, with the match officer’s safety call coming at the most unfortunate time for the hosts. The Kimberley outfit must be cursing their luck as they looked set for victory 30 minutes into the first half, with three unanswered tries setting them on their way. The visitors responded decisively though with two late first-half tries and another one just after the restart. Scorers: Tafel Lager Griquas 17 (17) - Tries: HJ Luus, Eduan Keyter, James Verity-Amm. Conversion: Tinus de Beer. Xerox Lions 20 (13) - Tries: Courtnall Skosan (2), Penalty Try. Penalty goal: Elton Jantjies. Free-scoring Cell C Sharks ease past Phakisa Pumas in Durban In the opening first-round encounter played on Friday evening in Durban, the Cell C Sharks overpowered the Phakisa Pumas 45-10 by scoring seven tries to one in this comfortable bonus-point victory. The Durbanites scored five tries and three conversions to go 31-3 up into the break, with their forwards especially dominant, while replacement wing Sbu Nkosi made a dramatic impact in the second half with two further tries to seal a dominant performance. The home forward pack used their bulk size and mauling abilities to good effect, which set up the platform for all but one of their five first-half tries. They enjoyed territorial advantage and possession and kept the pressure on the visitors by using their heavyweight pack to set up numerous attacking opportunities from their well-functioning lineouts. Jimmy Stonehouse’s team made a better impact in the second half and managed to carry the ball deep into the home territory. That good work was however undone when Springbok flyer Nkosi, who came on as a replacement, wrapped the game for the coastal team with two very good solo tries. Scorers: Cell C Sharks 45 (31) – Tries: Jeremy Ward (2), Sanele Nohamba, Kerron van Vuuren, Dylan Richardson, Sbu Nkosi (2). Conversions: Curwin Bosch (5). Phakisa Pumas 10 (3) – Try: Phumzile Maqondwana. Conversion: Ginter Smuts. Penalty: Smuts. Carling Currie Cup competition format Winner The Carling Currie Cup champion will be the team that wins the final on 23 January 2021 – the top four teams on the log will progress to the semi-finals (the top-placed will host the team that finishes fourth and the second placed team, the team finishes third), with the final hosted by the winning semi-finalist who finished highest on the log. Log position In the event of two or more teams being equal on log points for any position on the standings, either during or at the end of the season, such position will be decided upon using the following steps until the tie is broken: a) Highest aggregate points difference from all matches; b) Highest aggregate tries difference from all matches; c) Highest points difference with team tied on the log from matches between those sides; d) Most points scored in all group matches; e) Most tries scored in all group matches; f) Coin toss. Log points Win: 4 points Draw: 2 points Loss: 0 points for loss by more than 7 points Bonus: 1 point for loss by 7 points or fewer Bonus: 1 point for scoring 3 tries or more than opponent Carling Currie Cup media resources: Latest News | Match Centre | Standings Issued by SA Rugby Communications South Africa’s seven Carling Currie Cup teams are supporting the #NOEXCUSE campaign by competition sponsor Carling Black Label as the world marks 16 days of activism for no violence against women and children from 25 November to 10 December.
In line with Carling Black Label’s campaign, players from the Carling Currie Cup teams will either make a vow or wear #NOEXCUSE silicone rings in support of the initiative in the opening two weeks of SA’s premier domestic competition, which kicks off today (Friday, 27 November). The Cell C Sharks will host the Phakisa Pumas in the opening match on Friday at 19h00, while Tafel Lager Griquas welcome the Xerox Lions to Kimberley and DHL Western Province takes on the Vodacom Bulls in the North-South derby on Saturday. The #NOEXCUSE campaign aims to address the incidence of Gender-Based Violence by getting the men of South Africa to renew their social contract with the women in their lives and with society in general. RenewAll’s goal is to drive South African men to publicly acknowledge the scourge and get them to take action on the ground. Carling Black Label Brand Director Arné Rust praised the teams for supporting the campaign. “Every man is responsible for ending Gender Based Violence,” said Rust. “We ask all men to Re-New what you stand for in your relationship, Re-Commit to helping in the fight against Gender-Based Violence and Re-bel against the idea that you cannot help. “We would like to call on all rugby fans to follow the lead of their favourite teams and join us in committing to this very important campaign. Go to www.noexcusesa.com to make the vow. “Together we are stronger. Let’s discover #TheChampionWithin.” Issued by SA Rugby Communications Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi walked away with another set of awards on Thursday morning, a little more than a year after they spearheaded South Africa’s third triumph at the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
SA Rugby’s Director of Rugby and the Springbok captain were honoured at the Hollard Sports Industry Awards for 2020, which was staged digitally this year. The presentation takes place annually to celebrate achieving personalities and businesses in the South African sports industry. On Thursday, Erasmus was presented with the Leadership in Sport Business Award, while Kolisi was honoured with the Sport Industry Personality of the Year accolade. Francois Pienaar, the 1995 Springbok RWC-winning captain, presented Erasmus with his award, who described the tribute as both a big surprise and a great honour. “I appreciate the award and the acknowledgement and I want to say thanks to everyone involved in staging the awards,” said Erasmus, who went on to thank the Springboks players, management staff and SA Rugby personnel who are working with the Springboks. The Springboks have not been in action at all this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Pienaar asked Erasmus what was in store for 2021. Erasmus replied: “Our planning is in place and we are looking good for next year’s British & Irish Lions tour. Our big challenge at the moment is that we want to transform that (RWC-winning) happiness into real hope and to do that we have to keep on winning as a team.” Kolisi received his award from last year's winner, Annelee Murray, who is the long-serving Springbok PR Manager. “This award is really a team award, an acknowledgement of the good work done by everyone involved with the Springboks, from the coaches and players to the medical staff and the rest of the management,” said Kolisi. Asked about the prospects of facing the British & Irish Lions next year in the Springbok jersey, the Bok captained said: “We are all very excited about the tour and we want to prepare as hard as we can to be ready for what promised to be a fantastic Test series.” According to the awards organisers, 2020 may have been a year to forget for the South African sports industry, but it was still preceded by some ground-breaking innovation and creativity towards the end of 2019, and the response to the COVID-19 crisis has been nothing short of inspiring. Michael Johnson, the former multiple Olympic gold medallist and 200m and 400m world record holder, delivered the keynote address. Issued by SA Rugby Communications  At the young age of 26 years old, Babalwa Latsha has made it her purpose to inspire and motivate the youth, spreading the message that they can achieve anything they put their minds to thanks to her journey from Khayelitsha to being the first contracted 15s rugby player in Africa.
The Springbok Women’s prop, who is a qualified lawyer, burst on the international rugby scene in 2018 making her Springbok Women’s debut on the team’s European Tour – where she captained the side against Spain – and representing the Springbok Women’s Sevens team in the Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco. She later went on to captain the Springbok Women’s team to a comprehensive series victory in the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in 2019 – which served as the 2021 Rugby World Cup qualifier – and in their local Test matches against Spain and Scotland. Latsha’s strong presence in the scrums and in general play attracted interest from Spanish Club SD Eibar, and earlier this year, she made history by becoming the first professional South African women’s 15s rugby player. Her remarkable achievements, her determination to be best player she can be and her inspirational qualities, make Latsha the last of the 10 Springbok Women’s ‘Unstoppables’. The ‘Unstoppables’ is the second phase of World Rugby’s ‘Try and Stop Us’ women’s rugby campaign, which was launched in 2019 with the objective of lifting the profile of women’s rugby, and attracting new fans, players and investors to the game. “I’m living evidence that nothing is impossible and that your surroundings should not limit the size of your dreams,” said Latsha. “Rugby has given me a voice, the courage to question certain norms and allowed me to impact the lives of young boys and girls positively. “I have also honed leadership skills and learned perseverance, dedication and diligence. “More importantly I have learned to be selfless in everything that I do, putting aside personal gain and focusing on the betterment of others through rugby.” Latsha, who was also named as one of 12 Rugby Africa Women’s Unstoppables earlier this year, was only exposed to rugby at university level, but her passion for the game and professional approach to her training has seen her establish herself as one of the top players in the country. “My community (Khayelitsha) is a vibrant soccer community,” she said. “However, rugby has slowly gained some interest over time, as there is now a women's club based in my community. “But my first ever encounter with rugby came briefly through the VUKA development programme run by the SA Rugby Legends Association. “I took up the sport seriously that same year in my first year of studying at the University of the Western Cape.” Like many of her team-mates Latsha’s rugby journey has had its challenges. “The biggest challenge for me is the perceptions that society has about women who play rugby,” said Latsha. “I have had to overcome negative comments because of my muscular build and because I play rugby. “Women's rugby is not as popular as the men’s game and this requires me to work tremendously hard to prove myself and my worth.” With a few big achievements to her name already, it is no surprise that Latsha’s next target is a spot in the Springbok Women’s team at the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. “The most imminent goal is to compete in the World Cup next year,” said Latsha. “And secondly I would like to continue plying my trade abroad and opening up doors for many others. “I would also like to continue to work towards becoming a key figure in rugby in Africa and the world, and ultimately make a significant contribution to the development of Women's rugby globally.” Issued by SA Rugby Communications The Springbok Women will face England, France and debutantes Fiji in Pool C of the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, which will play out in Auckland and Whangarei from 18 September to 16 October next year.
Springbok Women’s coach Stanley Raubenheimer and his charges received the news late on Thursday night during an extravagant RWC draw at the popular SkyCity Theatre in Auckland. The tournament – the fourth time the Springbok Women will participate in the international extravaganza and the first time in seven years that they return to women’s rugby’s biggest stage – marks the first women’s Rugby World Cup in the southern hemisphere, and features three pools of four teams. Defending champions and tournament hosts, New Zealand, have been drawn in Pool A and will battle it out against Australia, Wales and the winner of the qualifier between Kenya and Columbia next year. The USA will take on Canada, and the winners of the Asia 1 and Europe 1 qualifiers – which is also set to be played in 2021 – in Pool B. Reacting to the pool draw, Raubenheimer said that his charges had to be prepared to be tested in New Zealand, but they were looking forward to the challenge. “It’s a tough pool but we always knew it would be,” said Raubenheimer. “You have to play against two of the top six teams and in our case, we have England and France. “England were runners up in the last World Cup and France were bronze medalists, but that is the reality of playing on this stage, and hopefully we can give a good account of ourselves.” With the tournament kicking off in less than 10 months, Raubenheimer said good preparation and analysis of their opposition would be vital to ensure that the team is as ready as can be when they depart for the land of the long white cloud. “We will zoom into the opposition more going forward, which is a positive because before the draw we had to look at all of the teams,” he said. “We will also look specifically at what we need to do and what we can be better at, but that said the biggest focus is on ourselves. “We need to give a good account of ourselves, and we know now who we need to prepare for. “Watching the draw gave us a sense of nervous excitement, but we can really focus on what we need to do now.” The 2021 Rugby World Cup will mark the third time the Springbok Women face France in the pool stages of the showpiece after crossing paths with them in the 2014 and 2006 tournaments, but it will be the first time they meet England and Fiji. 2021 Rugby World Cup pools: Pool A: New Zealand, Australia, Wales, Final Qualifier winner Pool B: Canada, USA, Asia 1, Europe 1 Pool C: England, France, South Africa, Fiji Issued by SA Rugby Communications  The first time Eloise Webb joined a rugby training session, she left the field with no intention of returning, but she gave it one more shot and a few years later she is relishing her life as a professional player.
The decorated athlete and Springbok Women’s fullback, who boasts junior national colours in cricket and javelin and who proved her worth as a class act in the Varsity Sports netball competition, eventually reached a stage where she had to choose between a round and an oval ball. The decision to select rugby certainly paid off as Webb is not only one of the contracted Springbok Women’s players, she is also in line to possibly make her Rugby World Cup debut at the international showpiece in New Zealand next year. Should Webb be included in Springbok Women’s coach Stanley Raubenheimer’s touring squad, she will build on an impressive rugby resume, which includes participating in the Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco and the Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2018. She also boasts the bragging rights of scoring a hat-trick on debut against Uganda for the Springbok Women’s 15-a-side team in the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in 2019 – which doubled up as the 2021 Rugby World Cup qualifier. Webb, who is studying towards a Bachelor of Education in Intermediate Phase Teaching, scored an impressive 20 points in her three matches in the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, which was capped off by the team booking their place in the New Zealand showpiece. Her fine sporting talent, her meteoric rise in rugby and her desire to keep giving her best on the field day-in and day-out makes Webb the Springbok Women’s ninth ‘Unstoppable’. The ‘Unstoppables’ is the second phase of World Rugby’s ‘Try and Stop Us’ women’s rugby campaign, which was launched in 2019 with the objective of lifting the profile of women’s rugby, and attracting new fans, players and investors to the game. “Personally, I believe rugby is one of the toughest sports both from a mental and physical point of view,” said Webb. “It tests your fitness, strength and skill, and you need a strong mind to deliver on the field consistently.” Webb admits that rugby was not initially her sport of choice, but despite this she has grown to love the sport. “Rugby has always been big in our family,” said Webb. “My brother (Roallan Webb) played for the Border U21 team, and my father also played the sport. “I got into rugby while played cricket for Border. Zintle Mpupha (Springbok Women’s centre) was my team-mate and she suggested I try out rugby. “I attended a training session and I really didn’t enjoy it, but my mother (Dalene Webb) talked me into going to one more session, and after that I was hooked.” With a broad range of sporting interests and the talent to match it, it is no surprise that having to choose the sport she would pursue was the toughest choice she has faced to date. “One of my biggest challenges was choosing between netball and rugby – I I really didn’t want to choose between them because I love both sports,” said Webb. “Fortunately my university netball team (Nelson Mandela University) allowed me to play rugby as well. But in the end I had to choose, and I chose rugby.” With Webb’s career highlights being her Springbok Women’s debut against Uganda and qualifying for the Rugby World Cup, her sights are set firmly on the big prize – going to New Zealand. “One of my biggest goals is to make the 2021 World Cup squad,” she said. “I am really enjoying my rugby and there is no bigger achievement for a player than to participate in a World Cup. So everything I do is geared toward improving as much as I can so that I can be at my best when the squad is selected next year.” Issued by SA Rugby Communications The Vodacom Bulls delivered a dominant first half performance against the Phakisa Pumas at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday to finish their Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked campaign on a winning note with a 21-5 victory and the honour of being crowned the champions.
The win was their fourth in a row in the competition and their fifth victory in six matches since Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked kicked off in October, not long after the interrupted season was restarted. With the clash between the trailing DHL Stormers and Cell C Sharks cancelled, the Vodacom Bulls entered their final match of the competition at the top of the standings with the title essentially sealed, but they continued to make their presence felt for yet another victory. The Toyota Cheetahs also ensured that they finished their Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked campaign on a high note as they overcame a strong challenge by Tafel Lager Griquas in Bloemfontein for a 28-9 win – although the match was tighter than the scoresheet reflected. Dominant Vodacom Bulls clinch Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked title The Vodacom Bulls overpowered the Phakisa Pumas on a sopping wet Loftus Versfeld turf on Saturday afternoon to claim a 21-5 victory and clinch the Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked title. The hosts were in control from the first half, dominating possession and territory, and they backed this up with good finishing to score three tries to none for an encouraging 21-0 halftime lead. The Phakisa Pumas finally made their way onto the score sheet six minutes into the second half and they continued to threaten on attack as the half progressed, but a combination of the Vodacom Bulls’ effective defence and errors denied the Lowvelders from converting it into points. The Vodacom Bulls, in turn, were unable to add to their score, but their impressive first-half performance was enough to secure the 21-5 victory. Scorers: Vodacom Bulls 21 (21) – Tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Chris Smith, Ivan van Zyl. Conversions: Chris Smith (3). Phakisa Pumas 5 (0) – Try: HP van Schoor. Toyota Cheetahs claim Central Derby honours The Toyota Cheetahs scored three tries from clever kicks to finish their Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked campaign on a winning note with a 28-9 victory over Tafel Lager Griquas in Bloemfontein on Saturday afternoon. Two late tries gave the Free Staters’ score a bit of a boost though as the match was much tighter than the final score reflected as they had to claw their way back from a one-point deficit at the break to score 20 unanswered second half points. The wet conditions made handling difficult and put extra emphasis on tactical awareness, while it also laid a platform for the forwards to get stuck in. The Toyota Cheetahs’ discipline let them down at crucial times, which allowed Tinus de Beer (flyhalf) to keep the scoreboard ticking over for Tafel Lager Griquas. Scorers: Toyota Cheetahs 28 (8) – Tries: Andisa Ntsila, Howard Mnisi, Ruben de Haas, Jeandré Rudolph. Conversion: Reinhardt Fortuin. Penalty goals: Tian Schoeman (2). Tafel Lager Griquas 9 (9) – Penalty goals: Tinus de Beer (3). Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked media resources: Latest News | Match Centre | Standings | Statistics Issued by SA Rugby Communications  SA Rugby and the British & Irish Lions have today announced that Castle Lager has agreed to become the official title partner of the 2021 Tour of South Africa.
The Castle Lager Lions Series kicks off on Saturday 3 July 2021 and sees the Lions visit some of the most impressive stadiums in world sport culminating in three Test matches against Rugby World Cup champions, the Springboks. The announcement comes in the wake of the massive interest in the Castle Lager Lions Series from South African rugby supporters. More than 324,000 applications for tickets were made, with tickets for the three Test matches being massively oversubscribed. “This represents a hat-trick for our friends at South African Breweries,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby. “They have now been the series partner for all three British & Irish Lions tours to South Africa in the professional era: first under the Lion brand in 1997 and now with Castle Lager for the 2009 and 2021 tours. “It’s a tribute both to their enduring support for South African rugby but also to the appeal of the sport and of a tour by the British & Irish Lions. “The first two professional series to South Africa were epic events that entranced the rugby nation. I am sure next year’s edition will be the same.” Ben Calveley, British & Irish Lions Managing Director, said: “Castle Lager has extensive experience in rugby sponsorship, and we are delighted that they have made such a significant commitment to supporting the Tour.” Today’s announcement coincides with the launch of the Castle Lions Series dedicated website, www.lionsseries.com, and social channels, where rugby supporters can keep up to date with all the latest Tour news, read and watch exclusive content, as well as enter competitions to win merchandise. “We are very proud to become the official title partner for the Lions Tour,” said Castle Lager Brand Director, Kudzi Mathabire. “Castle Lager has an established track record of enhancing the sports events it is associated with and we look forward to working with the Lions and SA Rugby to create a truly memorable Series.” The Castle Lager Lions Series begins on Saturday 3 July 2021 when the Lions face the DHL Stormers in Cape Town. Three weeks later the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg will host the first Test – a venue which previously hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final. The second Test follows on Saturday 31 July at the Cape Town Stadium – the first Lions Test in the Mother City since 1997 – before the British and Irish tourists return to Gauteng for the final Test on Saturday 7 August at Emirates Airline Park, the storied venue of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final. The Lions have toured South Africa on 13 previous occasions, with the first Tour taking place in 1891. In that time, the Lions have won four Test series, lost eight with one drawn. Their overall record against the Springboks is played 46, won 17, lost 23 and drawn six. As part of the agreement, Castle Lager will receive a comprehensive range of in-stadia rights, including ticketing, hospitality and pouring, as well as kit branding rights, and access to Springbok and Lions players and coaches. The deal also sees a newly created, Castle Lager branded Tour Series logo for use across a wide range of broadcasting, merchandising, digital and social media platforms. The Castle Lager Lions Series logo explained:
Full 2021 British & Irish Lions tour schedule:
Issued by SA Rugby Communications  Life could have been vastly different for Zinhle Ndawonde had it not been for rugby.
What was once an escape for a young girl to stay off the township streets and shield herself from challenging circumstances while her mother – who was a domestic worker at the time – went to work, became a means to a better life and national colours for the Springbok Women’s centre. Ndawonde’s first big feat in the sport was participating in the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco as a member of the Springbok Women’s Sevens team, and she has now turned her focus to earning a place in the Springbok Women’s team that will travel to New Zealand for the 15-a-side Rugby World Cup in 2021. The hard running centre’s drive to succeed and her determination to turn rugby from a means to stay off the streets into vehicle of success makes her the Springbok Women’s sixth ‘Unstoppable’. The ‘Unstoppables’ is a World Rugby initiative, which marks the second phase of its ‘Try and Stop Us’ women’s rugby campaign launched in 2019 with the objective of lifting the profile of women’s rugby, and attracting new fans, players and investors to the game. “Rugby has changed my life drastically,” said Ndawonde. “Growing up in the township of Inanda in KwaZulu-Natal where girls were falling pregnant, taking drugs and drinking alcohol back then, rugby became my escape and it served as my pathway to a much better life. “Attending training and matches kept me busy and allowed me to stay away from what was happening on the streets.” Staying off the streets was not Ndawonde’s only challenge, she also had to be creative in terms of her training and disciplined in her diet to make it to the top. “Coming from a poor background my mother could not afford gym fees and to buy healthy food, so I had to find ways to keep fit and ensure my nutritional needs were met to maintain the required fitness standards,” said Ndawonde. “Despite this I remained committed to playing for my country and decided make the best of the situation so I did push-ups, sit-ups and any other exercises I could do with whatever I could use around the house, and I made wiser choices about the foods I could choose between at home.” It is this discipline that enabled Ndawonde to establish herself as one of the top players in the country. “At a young age I always dreamed of representing my country in sport, and when I started playing rugby, I knew this was it,” said Ndawonde, who is employed as a firefighter at King Shaka International Airport near Durban. “The biggest lesson rugby has taught me is that life gives back what you put in. Between 2012 and 2015 I was invited to a few training camps and I didn’t make the team, but I soon realised it was because I didn’t put in enough effort. “I then made the mental switch to start working hard and to improve my discipline and it paid off with call-ups to the team.” Ndawonde proudly states that her mother (Nomusa Ndawonde) has been the biggest driving force in her career, saying: “Watching her raise two daughters with the little she had was nothing short of admirable. “She never gave up on us and she was strong in everything she did, which allowed us to become better women. Her strength taught us to never give up no matter how tough or bad a situation feels. “These lessons have certainly helped in my rugby career, especially when I have to dig deep in tough training sessions.” Her mother’s selflessness and strength has also inspired Ndawonde to assist other youngsters to strive for their dreams regardless of their backgrounds and life circumstances. “My biggest dream at the moment is to make the 2021 Rugby World Cup team,” she said. “And secondly I would like to share my knowledge and experience with the young girls in rural areas, particularly those whose circumstances are similar to that in which I grew up and who believe they can never make something of their lives as a result of it. “My dream is to reach out to those girls by creating a women’s rugby academy one day where I can help them by teaching them rugby and improving their basic skills, so that they can develop hope and strive for something bigger.” For a Q&A with Zinhle Ndawonde, click here. Issued by SA Rugby Communications  Six years ago, Tayla Kinsey was the youngest player in the South African team at the 2014 Rugby World Cup at the age of 20, and with the next international extravaganza less than a year away, the Springbok Women’s scrumhalf has her sights set squarely on taking the field in New Zealand.
Kinsey’s love for rugby developed at an early age when she joined her brother’s club side, Hillcrest Villages Rugby Club, from the age to seven to nine years old, but she was first exposed to women’s touch rugby at high school, and then 15-a-side club rugby after school. She immediately made an impact on the field, with her skillful play earning her a place in the South Africa U20 Women’s team in 2013, and later the senior Springbok Women’s team. Kinsey’s ability to remain one of the top scrumhalves in the country for several years and her drive to play the sport she loved from a young age despite the limited opportunities in rugby for women while she was growing up, makes her the seventh Springbok Women’s ‘Unstoppable’. The ‘Unstoppables’ is the second phase of World Rugby’s ‘Try and Stop Us’ women’s rugby campaign, which was launched in 2019 with the objective of lifting the profile of women’s rugby, and attracting new fans, players and investors to the game. “I didn’t know about women’s rugby when I was growing up, so I never thought that I would become a Springbok rugby player,” said Kinsey. “In fact, I played rugby in my brother’s teams before I turned 10 years old because I loved the game so much. I always wanted to represent South Africa in sport, but I never thought I would get to live that dream through rugby.” It was in fact through her father that Kinsey took up rugby. “My father coached my brother’s club team, so luckily he allowed me join the boys,” said Kinsey. “After that I turned to other sports because rugby wasn’t available for girls at my age. “It was only at high school where I could take up touch rugby from Grade 10, and not long after that someone suggested at an interprovincial tournament that I try out for the College Rovers Rugby Club. I haven’t looked back since.” Kinsey added: “When I was younger my father taught me that women could do anything men could do. He sacrificed a lot for me and our team, so my father was without a doubt the most inspirational person in my rugby career.” Apart from the opportunity to travel overseas for the first time and be exposed to other countries and cultures, Kinsey has also gained valuable life lessons from rugby. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is not to let people try talking you out of doing what you love just because it’s not what they think you should be doing,” said the nippy No 9. “I’ve also learned that it’s important to have a good support system around you. People who are supportive, encourage you and who understand the sacrifices you must make to be where you want to be. “Rugby can humble you because one quickly realises that you can’t achieve a goal by yourself, you need a good team around you, and that same lesson applies in life in general.” Kinsey’s main career highlights to date are participating in the 2014 Rugby World Cup in France and playing for Aylesford Bulls in the UK in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons, but she hopes to add another RWC appearance to her list of achievements. “Right now my focus is on training hard so that I am prepared for everything expected of us in the lead-up to the 2021 Rugby World Cup,” said the player. “Hopefully that will all pay off because I would like to be the best player I can be when the squad is selected. With everything good thing comes a lot of sacrifice, but that’s what makes the end goal more worthwhile in the end.” Issued by SA Rugby Communications |
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