Rugby has always been perceived as a sport played exclusively by boys and men, but, with the Women’s Rugby World Cup on the go in Ireland, the sport is showing tremendous potential, improvement and growth.
Twelve-year-old Crystal Mylie, from Brenthurst, is one of those people proving that rugby is not only for the boys.
The Laerskool Die Arend learner has been playing youth rugby with the boys in Brakpan Junior Rugby Club’s u-12 team this season and is showing that she is more than capable between the four lines of a rugby field.
Mylie joined the club earlier this year and is loving every minute playing in the number six flank position.
Her obsession for the game was spawned from the passion of her late grandfather and role model Johan Klynsmith, who first introduced her to the oval ball.
She hopes to improve her game and some day to don the green and gold Springbok jersey.
For now though, Mylie is just enjoying being out on the rugby field.
“I just love the sport and I love how fun it is.
As the only girl in the team she does miss out on the ‘gees’ in the boys’ changing room before a match, but that does not deter her.
“At first my teammates were shocked that I was playing rugby,” she said.
“They thought I was kidding, but their opinion soon changed when they started to see that I could play rugby and that I was performing well.
“I tackled a boy in practice and he did a ‘bollemakiesie’.
“His neck was a little bit sore afterwards.”
“That’s when they realised that Crystal can play rugby,” added her mother, Surita.
Asked about how the opposition reacts to her playing rugby, the youngster said:
“The other teams can’t see that I’m a girl at first because I have got a scrum cap on, but when I take it off their moms and dads start shouting at them to try tackle me,” she laughingly said.
Crystal offered some advice to other girls who would like to play rugby.
“If you try hard, have a passion for the game and really want to play, then you can definitely do it.”
She hopes to continue playing rugby when she goes to high school, with her mother eyeing Hoërskool Stoffberg as the school of choice.
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