Young player paves way
Female rugby star inspires younger girls to play
RISING rugby star Babalwa Latsha from Khayelitsha is living her dream and inspiring young girls, especially those from her township who dream of playing professional rugby.
Recently the 24-year-old captained the Springbok women’s team against Spain as part of the side’s European Tour.
It was the first time since 2014 that the team donned their green-and-golds and travelled for a Test match.
Latsha is the product of the ongoing commitment and hard work of the SA Rugby Legends Association’s (Sarla) development programme, Vuka.
“I have been passionate about rugby since the very first day I started playing and am committed to giving my best to my team and coach,” she said.
“The Vuka programme provided me with an incredible foundation to build my skill, not just on the field, but off the field too and I am truly grateful.
“The programme opened academic doors for me. It was a great challenge coming from Khayelitsha, but today I am able to fulfil my dreams,” she said.
Latsha said it was always an honour to represent South Africa and for her to be able to touch the lives of young girls who share the same passion.
She also gives back to her community regularly, coaching at primary schools and assisting with talent spotting.
Vuka Rugby is fully supported and endorsed by SA Rugby and forms part of their national development objectives, and involves a range of age groups for both boys and girls from U/15 through to U/19.
Youth of all ages get the positive benefit of attending regular sport coaching sessions, learning how to foster a healthy body and mind.
In 2014, Vuka extended the programme to girls teams resulting in the 24-year-old being one of the first two players who participated during while at Heathfield High School and received national rugby honours at the highest level.
Considered a symbol of the accelerated development of rugby in South Africa, Latsha is currently studying law at the UWC.
To date, she has achieved several awards and accolades, which include playing provincial rugby for the Western Cape from 2015, named their 2016 player of the year and winning SA Rugby’s women’s top achiever award last year.
Sarla chief executive Stefan Terblanche said: “We are so proud of Babalwa and all of her achievements, she’s an inspiration to all of us and we will continue to support the development of women’s rugby across our country.”
Vuka programme provided me with an incredible foundation
Babalwa Latsha
Springbok women’s team captain