The South African Rugby Union has announced that the Springbok Women’s test match against the USA at Ellis Park on 4 July will be played in honour of Walter and Albertina Sisulu.
The match forms part of a double-header with the men’s Springboks facing England in the Nations Championship.
SARU agreed to the gesture following discussions with the Sisulu Foundation about the work it has done to preserve the memory of two significant figures in South African history.
The association with the Springbok Women’s team particularly honours the legacy of Albertina Sisulu.
Dr Allan Boesak, chairman of the Foundation, said Albertina Sisulu’s life of self-sacrificial love for her people, her unwavering fortitude and her strong leadership remains an extraordinary example for South Africa’s young women.
“Her life is an inspiration for young women in their ongoing struggle to find their rightful, honoured and respected place in South African society, in every walk in life, including sports. Her compassion and determination to seek what is right is a sustained and sustaining beacon of hope,” Boesak said.
Mark Alexander, president of SARU, said the union was pleased to assist in publicising the work of the Foundation and the legacy of Walter and Albertina Sisulu, particularly in association with the national women’s team.
Boesak said the partnership highlights the intimate relationship between sports and human upliftment, sports and human potential, sports and social justice, and sports and national unity.
“While every sports code has its own path, SARU and the Sisulu Foundation have chosen a collaboration concentrating especially on women’s rugby. It is fitting, proper and natural,” he said.
The Walter and Albertina Sisulu Foundation is a not-for-profit and non-partisan organisation whose mission is committed to advancing social justice through programmes around education, gender-based violence and food security.
The Foundation strives for the fair treatment and equitable opportunities for all individuals and social groups, especially those who have been historically oppressed, exploited or marginalised.
Walter and Albertina Sisulu’s names and legacies invoke the inspirational confidence South Africans can call upon to underpin these programmes. Their names recall integrity, calm authority and authenticity that resonate strongly with the deepest and highest ideals of the nation.
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