Etwatwa resident joins first women’s rugby institute
The women, who will be permanently based at the facility, will juggle training and studying.
Etwatwa resident Kheselina Nhlanhla Rens (18) is pleased to be one of the scholars that was recently accepted to attend the newly opened Gauteng Women’s Rugby Institute (GWRI) in Springs.
The development and recognition of female sports reached new heights when history was created by the official opening of the institute on March 3.
According to the founders, the institute is the first of its kind in Africa.
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The impressive-looking facility has 24 rooms that can house a total of 68 people and it includes a huge training space for the current 32 players, which it accommodates.
“When I am not at the institute in Springs, I reside in Etwatwa, Daveyton,” said Rens.
“I will be spending my first year studying Sports Administration and that’s because I’ve always been passionate about sports. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands when I was accepted to be part of the institute.”
The women, who will be permanently based at the facility, will juggle training and studying.
There is also a field across the institute where the team will play its home matches.
“I am not working at this moment, still trying to give all of my attention towards my studies and rugby as well,” she said.
“At first I felt anxious. However, as time went on I got more excited and zealous about the new journey I was about to embark on.”
Rens applied at the institute and was over the moon when she had been accepted.
According to the founder of GWRI, Jaco Coetzer, out of the group of 32 women, a number of them received the opportunity to join the institute by applying, while some were scouted in townships around Ekurhuleni.
“I feel so blessed to be one of the students at Gauteng Women’s Rugby Institute, and I am loving every moment,” she explained.
“Everything is going according to plan.
“I thought I’d feel out of place with all people from different homes, but the coaches and everyone else who works at the school made sure that it didn’t come to that.
“They’ve got programmes that help all the diverse groups of people mix with each other.”
Rens started playing rugby, at first, because for her it was a coping mechanism for hard situations she was dealing with back home.
However, she fell in love with the sport.
“I gave it my all playing the game and thus I ended up soaring higher each time,” she said.
“What I like about rugby is that it has more challenges in my opinion than most sports and I am a girl who likes challenges.”
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When the government allows competitive rugby matches to resume, the girls will play under the women’s amateur Valke Rugby Union club structure, which includes a total of 16 female teams.
“We haven’t played any games yet, due to the pandemic, and haven’t yet been informed as to what team we’ll be playing for,” she said.
“But the positions I will play when we finally get started are right lock (5) and I can also play eighth woman and flank (6/7).”
This local started playing rugby in Caiphus Nyoka Secondary School under Temperance Sibutha’s guidance and coaching.
“She mentored me as a teacher and a coach, to where I am today and I will forever be grateful,” said Rens.
Coetzer aims to have a women’s rugby institute in every province of the country.
According to the director of Gauteng Department of Education, Cedric Ranchor, rugby’s biggest challenge is getting a foothold in townships because the stigma of the game ‘is only for white people’ exists.
“My most memorable moment would be when I was chosen to play for the Valke women’s rugby team u-18, back in 2019,” said Rens.
“I couldn’t believe that I was chosen, and couldn’t even fathom how, but I was so excited and grateful.”
Rens supports the Sharks Natal rugby team because she enjoys the way they play as well as the team structure, but also has many professional players that she looks up too.
“My role models have to be Wish Nadine, right lock (5) for the Springbok’s Women’s team, Babalwa Latsha, prop (3), captain of the springbok’s women’s team and Makazole Mapimpi, wing (14),” she explained.
“This is because they’ve gone through difficult situations similar to mine. However, they’ve managed to strive above the obstacles and still made it to the national team.
“My favourite players all in all through are Wish Nadine (5), Makazole Mapimpi, Chelsin Kolbe, Sbu Nkosi and Siyamthanda Kolisi.
“That’s because they play their hearts out, they don’t hold back, they give all of their games their best and that motivates me to do better in the field.”
