A rugby force to be reckoned with
WHEN she was forced to drop out of her rugby team in Khayelitsha because of a new job, Masande Mjikeliso thought that was the end of doing what she loves.
The then unemployed 30-year-old got a job with the police. Her dream of being in the SAPS national female rugby team came true a few years after she joined the service.
Now the policewoman stationed in Kraaifontein is hopeful she will one day play for the Springbok women’s rugby team.
Mjikeliso, from King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape, started playing rugby six years ago. Her interest grew in the sport when she used to watch her brothers, who later introduced her to the game.
“I was the only girl at home and always wanted to prove I could do everything that males did.
“When I started playing, I did it for fun. As time went by, I started enjoying the sport. I would tag along with my brothers to every rugby event.
“Watching them training and playing motivated me to start taking the sport serious. I loved how I was fit and it challenged me in a way. I played for my village and was chosen to play for the province,” added Mjikeliso.
She relocated and played for a local rugby team in Khayelitsha as a flank. She had to drop the team and join the SAPS as she had been unemployed.
“I was extremely happy and excited when I heard I could play. Through the support of our station commander, we are able to balance both work and the sports we choose.
“I am a very competitive person. I always want the team I am in to win and seeing how other women are dedicated pushes me,” she said.
Brigadier Gerda Van Niekerk, Kraaifontein SAPS station commander, said they were proud of their members, especially Mjikeliso.
“In July 2017, Mjikeliso was selected to play for the Western Province female rugby team. (They) won their games and played in the finals to win the tournament.
“In September, she was selected to play for the SAPS national female rugby team to participate in the SA Forces/ Services Rugby Week,” said Van Niekerk.
I was thrilled and excited when I heard that I could play for the SAPS