Women to tackle Karoo

About 200 female rugby players from eight districts around the province will descend on the Karoo to participate in the annual Geneva Scholtz Women’s Rugby Games this weekend. The tournament, hosted by the Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (DSRAC), starts on Saturday and will conclude in Middleburg on Sunday.

The games form part of the Albertina Sisulu Month celebratory activities, and aims to empower young women to be active, increase their self-esteem and promote patriotism.

The annual event is utilised by scouts to identify talent for sport federations.

DSRAC MEC Bulelwa Tunyiswa said the tournament encouraged mass participation and involvement of girls and women from all eight districts of the Eastern Cape.

“This tournament is named after Geneva Scholtz, a young rugby player from Middleburg who died and sacrificed her life on the rugby field at age 23 seven years ago.

“This annual tournament seeks to build strong women rugby clubs, and also build a second layer that will follow in the footsteps of those that have reached national level and represented SA,” Tunyiswa said.

The tournament has produced several top players like the captain of the women Springboks Sevens side, Nolusindiso Booi, and Zenay Jordaan, who captains the women Springboks Sevens side.