The hard work on the practice field starts in all earnest on Friday for the best girl rugby players in the province.
A huge challenge lies ahead when the Youth Weeks for girls start in the first week of July. Matches will be played in Johannesburg at Jeppe High.
The coaches want to make sure the Eastern Province (EP) players will be ready to shine, when the moment arrives for them to step up to the plate.
The names of the u/18 and u/16 Girl squads were released by the secretary of the EP High Schools Rugby Association, Neville Botha.
“The squads were selected after three rounds of trial matches,” Botha explained.
“The girls will now get together every Friday at Andrew Rabie High (in Gqeberha) for practice sessions,” he added.
The selectors cast their net wide, and players were picked from a number of schools all over the province.
Motherwell High from Gqeberha is the best-represented, with eight girls, five u/18 and three u/16, selected to do duty.
Asherville (Graaff-Reinet) has four players in the u/18 squad, and Phakamisa (Zwide, Gqeberha) three.
Phakamisa also has one player, Sanga Makhalani, in the u/16 team.
Mark Fletcher will coach the u/18 side, with Warren van Rooyen his assistant. Ziyanda Zobuso is the u/16 head coach and Brittany Bosch the assistant coach.
A big day for the girls will be June 11 when their official capping ceremony takes place.
The respective EP teams for the boys are also starting to take shape.
The selectors will get another chance to look at the best players at the annual Meyer Sauerman Tournament.
Matches will take place on Friday and Saturday at Gill College in Somerset East.
EP girls
U/18: Philisande Mtamo (Phakamisa), Appie Siviwe (Cingani), Sikelela Rasmeni (Booysens Park), Cuma Isaac, Alutha Ngezula (both Motherwell), Sinesipho Mavuso (Phakamisa), Liyema Khoza (Motherwell), Somisila Ambesive (EZ Kabane), Roslyn January (Gelvandale), Julene Haas (Arcadia), Monique de Beer (Asherville), Yamkela Funani (Linkside), Danica Meyers (Alexandria), Yanela Zulu (Phakamisa), Zusakhe Tembani, Likhano Dyani (both Motherwell), Yonela Gqomo (Coselani), Nicole Prince, Chanelle Damons (both Asherville), Lisa Els (Strelitzia), Briyana Visagie (Asherville), Lolo Lukhanye (Douglas Mbopa), Enzo Mhlontlo (Collegiate).
U/16: Leayante Neff (Cillié), Silakhe Masizana (Motherwell), Sanga Makhalani (Phakamisa), Patricia Goliath (Spandau), McKena Miller (Andrew Rabie), Andile Mtembu (Motherwell), Alungile Nyembezi (Vulumzi), Owam Nelson (EZ Kabana), Sinako Nonganga (Motherwell), Nadelean Leeuwskieter (Humansdorp), Chenique Brown (Alexandria), Kelsey Coltman (Alexandria), Emily Gunn (Chatty), Chelsea Kouberg (Alexandria), Lisakhanya Kaptein (Coselani), Lihle Panga (Soqhayisa), Naledi Banjwa (St Thomas), Ashmin Ruiters (Uitenhage), Tanisha Arends (Addo), Sisamkele Nijkelana (Mfesane), Singalakha Ndaba (Motherwell), Charnelle Esthrays (Paterson), Amy Smith (Spandau).
Results
Cradock 15, DF Malherbe 10; Grey High 15, Queen’s College 5; Framesby 47, Daniel Pienaar 19; Kingswood College 33, Die Brandwag 0; Despatch 17, Andrew Rabie 12; Nico Malan 31, Marlow 27; Otto du Plessis 31, Humansdorp 3; Kirkwood 40, Cillié 10.
