Babalwa Latsha: “We Had It In Our Hearts to Represent Our Country to the Best of Our Abilities”

This week on gsport’s IG Live, gsport writer Lonwabo Nkohla had a chat with Springbok Women prop Babalwa Latsha following the Boks’ trip to the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand.

The team had a daunting task ahead of them, pitted against some of the toughest teams in the tournament. The South Africans were in a pool with France, whom they faced first, Fiji and arguably the best team in the world, England.

According to Latsha part of their game plan was to take it one game at a time: “Our pool was quite a tough one, it was even labeled the group of death by some, ours was to take it step by step. The first goal was to progress to the quarterfinals by beating Fiji but unfortunately that wasn’t to be. But overall the team was in high spirits we had it in our hearts to represent our country to the best of our abilities. The sisterhood was so great, the atmosphere was amazing.”

The 28-year-old Latsha was named in the Team of the Week after the first game against France but admits that although it was a mountain to climb, a lot of positives came from the experience.

“We left everything on the field and that gives you peace in your heart to know that you gave it your all.” – Springbok Women’s Prop Babalwa Latsha speaking on their performance at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand

“It was quiet daunting to face the third best team in the world in France and the best in the world, England, who are on an unbeaten streak, I think we put up a performance that we could all be proud of, we left everything on the field and that gives you peace in your heart to know that you gave it your all. We took lessons from that experience, there’s a lot that we take away from the experience.”

One thing that we have in common as a country is our unique team spirit, the singing and “vibe” that our national teams bring to tournaments has attracted a lot of media attention and that too was evident with the Nolusindiso Booi-led side.

“We have this unique spirit that we bring to any tournament like Banyana Banyana did in Morocco. I’m so happy to see teams embrace that regardless of the results on the field.”

Meanwhile, Springbok Women’s wing Nomawethu Mabenge is nominated in the category for International Rugby Players Women’s Try of the Year for her effort in the first Test against Spain in Potchefstroom in August.

Asked about this recognition not just for Mabenge but for the team as a whole, Latsha says: “It’s a turnaround for our game, we’ve reached a pivotal, watershed moment where finally we are seeing that SA rugby is getting some recognition that it needs. It means that the world is watching. We are still in the building phase in our system.”

Born and bred in a tough, previously disadvantaged township like Khayelitsha but rose above those circumstances, the first African woman rugby player to turn professional had this message for the youth in South Africa: “It sounds so cliché but it’s so true, nothing is impossible. We as humans are not limited, not by our circumstances, our capacity, our surroundings, not by our upbringings. I say to every young girl, keep fighting for what you believe in.”