Nine Border women to attend Springbok camp

ONLY nine players from the allconquering Border Rugby women’s team have been selected to be part of the Springbok team that will attend a camp in Cape Town later this month.

This despite the Border team again dominating on all fronts including winning the provincial title for the fourth successive year.

The Border team, in fact, has only lost two matches in the past four years.

The Border players – Liyabona Dudumashe, Fundiswa Plaatjie, Thantaswa Macingwane, Nolusindiso Booi, Siphosethu Mgaju, Aphiwe Ngewevu, Lusanda Dumke, Nosiphiwo Goda and Simamkele Namba – will join the Bok camp from May 25 to 28.

Western Province will have the highest number of players at the camp as 14 have been called up.

Border coach Malibongwe Kradu expressed his disappointment that Western Province have more players in the squad, saying his girls deserve to dominate the national setup.

“We are very disappointed by this because we have the best players,” said Kradu.

“Border women are an all-conquering team. If anything the majority of players should have been from our team.”

To drive his point home, Kradu said they will once again win the interprovincial tournament to prove that they have the best players in the country.

In the last season Border and WP went head to head with each other and as usual the Border side came out on top, claiming the title after beating the Western Cape side 29-16.

Because of their continued dominance, Border has always had a large representation in the national team.

Border women’s head Mandisa Williams agreed with Kradu. She was also shocked when the selectors’ list was released.

“Initially there were 13 players selected from our side but then four went to join the seven’s team,” she said.

“However, 13 was still number to begin with.”

The team selected is expected to form the base of the national team for the 2021 Rugby World Cup to be held in England.

Williams said she is confident the team has a low what it takes to lift the title but a lot of preparation must be done in order to come out on top.

“These girls are more than capable of winning but in order for that to happen they must play the big teams in time for the World Cup so that they will know what to expect,” she said.

“They can’t just play one or two games a year and be expected to perform miracles come World Cup,” she added.

Williams concluded that a lot of money and resources need to be injected into the sport to ensure it becomes successful.