SARU picks girls squad
The future stars of Women’s Rugby in South Africa have taken their first step towards international participation during the past weekend when 26 of the brightest young girl prospects assembled for a Sevens training camp in Cape Town.
The promising young players were selected after the inaugural SARU Girls Under-16 Week was held in Kimberley recently. This assembly is the first phase in the selection process to identify and prepare a squad who will participate in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival next January.
Six girls of Western Province were selected, while Border have four representatives and Boland and South Western Districts three players each.
Mahlubi Puzi, the SARU Manager for Women’s Rugby, described the training camp as a significant step in the process to develop rugby at all levels for female participants.
Puzi said: “Their ages range from 14-17 years and they have been selected on the basis of their performances in Kimberley. It is vital that we start to put the building blocks into place as we plan for participation at the 2016 Olympics. They will undergo fitness and medical tests and we will then reduce the number of players to form a smaller group based on the results of these tests."
The SARU Junior Girls Sevens training squad: Ntsako Faith Tshauke (Blue Bulls), Areesa Grain (Boland), Micaela Witbooi (Boland), Zanilee Fransman (Boland), Lusanda Dumka (Border), Yanga Ndabeni (Border), Simamkele Namba (Border), Asisipho Dotwana (Border), Eldrika Baartman (Eastern Province), Zandile Khumalo (Golden Lions), Bonakele Sibiya (Golden Lions), Leilani Januarie (Griquas), Mandy Mhlongo (KwaZulu-Natal), Lethukutha Hadebe (KwaZulu-Natal), Welmarie Wessels (Leopards), Phumla Sambo (Mpumalanga), Sindi Mathonsi (Mpumalanga), Atheana Botha (SWD), Christal Williams (SWD), Veronique Maswati (SWD), Jill Christians (Western Province), Annique Geswind (Western Province), Sinazo Mcatshulwa (Western Province), Gretchen Bezuidenhout (Western Province), Kimico Manuel (Western Province), Crystal Stoffels (Western Province)
Management
Khayalethu Malotana (Head Coach)
Denver Wannies (National Coach)
Nomsebenzi Tsotsobe (Team Manager)