The future stars of Women’s Rugby in South Africa will give their first step towards international participation during the upcoming weekend when 26 of the brightest young girl prospects will assemble for a Sevens training camp in Cape Town.
The promising youngsters were selected after the inaugural SARU Girls Under-16 Week was held in Kimberley two weeks ago. 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 SWD 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.
“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,” explained Puzi.
The SARU Junior Girls Sevens training camp Squad, in Cape Town from 27-29 July 2012: 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)