Newcastle’s Ulender Khumalo is taking the rugby scene by storm

She has become well known for her lightning speed and fierce determination. Her journey from a local rugby club to being selected for the Sharks Women’s Rugby Team is one of grit, passion, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Selected in May 2023, Ulender has already become a highly competitive and established talent on the team.

Ulender’s path towards the Sharks began as somewhat of a chance meeting while playing in the NKZNRU League. It’s believed she caught the eye of the Sharks Women’s head coach who invited her to train with the team.

From that moment on, Ulender’s life would change for the better and she welcomed her opportunity with arms wide open. Representing her home province is a deep and personal achievement that Ulender holds near and dear to her heart.

“It is so much more than just a game—I am not just representing my province; I am representing myself, my family, my teammates, and women in rugby in general. My ultimate goal was to make a name for myself in the sport and through God I have finally achieved it, and for that, I am forever grateful,” said Ulender.

When asked how she is preparing herself mentally and physically to represent her province, Ulender simply stated: “I’ve been preparing myself for this moment for years. As an overthinking person, I tend to create these scenarios in my head and I think that does sometimes work for me… but as soon as I got to the Sharks set-up, the pressure started. I saw these big, huge, strong, beautiful women who were going to be my teammates. Then there was the competition I would face from other women who play in my position, which is wing (no 14). I had to remind myself that I came here to play rugby and to showcase my talent, and I did just that.”

She continued: “This is a very tough competition. I met my peers, and I did absolutely my best and gave it my all. Sometimes it is tough being away from home for months, but my family keep reminding me why I came here and came here to do so – so let me be strong and keep striving.”

Behind her success, Ulender said she had an amazing support system that kept her going.

She especially highlighted her brother, who had been her rock since their mother had passed away, and her niece, who she said made sure she remained grounded.

She also drew strength from her strength and conditioning coach, Owethu, whose guidance extended beyond the physical aspects of training, and from her local rugby club, Newcastle Boschpick Highlanders.

She described head coach, Andrè ‘Swanie’ Swanepoel, as not only being her mentor but a much-needed father figure in her life.
Remaining dedicated, motivated, and passionate:

“Being the fastest of them all makes me even want to do more; seeing myself score multiple tries and seeing my teammates happy because of me and the trust they have in me is unbelievable. I learnt that I wasn’t there just as a teammate but also as a person they can rely on, as a friend, as a person, and also as a teammate.”

One of Ulender’s most memorable matches was when they played the Cheetahs women’s rugby team on the Shark grounds.

“I started as a left-wing, but our full back got injured, so I had to move to play a full back, which I didn’t like at first because I really don’t trust myself in other positions besides a wing. But because of the trust my teammates had in me, they reminded me that it’s okay because they have got my back, and I ended up scoring three beautiful tries for my team and even being awarded the top try scorer of the year with 11 tries in a season.”

Balancing her tertiary education with her rugby career has not been easy, but Ulender has successfully managed to excel in both areas.

She believes education comes first but also remains dedicated and headstrong in her rugby career, refusing to slack in either one of these areas.

Ulender now has one final goal set in stone, and that is to wear that green and gold jersey and represent South Africa on the global stage.

“I have already secured a spot in the Springboks Women’s 7’s training camp, which in itself is a remarkable achievement, but I will not stop until I have made the 7’s squad and can travel the world playing rugby,” she said.

Furthermore, Ulender hopes to inspire a future generation of female rugby players by showing up and teaching them the love of the game.

With speed, skills, and unwavering willpower, Ulender hopes to not only continue to play the game but to change it as a pioneer for women across the globe and one day will sit back and share her experiences of how a young girl from little old Newcastle managed to dominate the rugby industry one ball at a time.

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