SARU announces 24-member squad for upcoming Women’s Seniors Nations Cup - Rugby
South African Rugby Union (SARU) has announced their 24-players squad for the upcoming senior Women’s Nations Cup tournament. The tournament will be played in Toronto, Canada and will start from August 2nd to August 14.
SARU has confirmed the announcement of the squad in a statement released on their website on Monday, July 25.
South African Women’s team coach, Denver Wannies, has termed the squad as a good combination of youth and experience player. Wannies added, “The core of last year’s team is thankfully still available and we have the added benefit that three of our players,
Mandisa Williams, Zenay Jordaan and Fundiswa Plaatjie played some club rugby in Ireland, which can only benefit the team.”
Wannies praised the players’ hard work in their recent training camps. Wannies further added, “We also looked at including three of the SA U20 players but logistics would have made it very difficult for them to join us at such short notice.”
Most of the squad consists of players which participated in the 2010 International Rugby Board (IRB) Women’s World Cup. However, six new faces have been added to the squad, which did not participate in the World Cup last year.
Out of these six, five players will be making their international debut for South Africa. These five players include border flanker Nwabisa Ngxatu, Western Province hooker Denita Wentzel, Eastern Province scrum half Sisphosethu Tshangana, KwaZulu-Natal winger
Lusanda Mtiya and Western Province centre Janine Felix.
The former South African Woman Player of the Year, Natasha Hoffmeester, is the sixth player added to the squad. Hoffmeester will be returning to action after recovering from a foot injury.
Wannies has directed the announced players to report for a training camp at Port Elizabeth on Wednesday, July 27. The team will depart for Toronto on Saturday, July 30.
The 24-player squad declared by SARU for the upcoming 2011 IRB Seniors Nation cup includes,Pulane Motloung, Yolanda Meiring (Blue Bulls), Mandisa Williams, Fundiswa Plaatjie, Ziyanda Tywaleni, Nolusindiso Booi, Nwabisa Ngxatu (Border), Daphne Scheepers,
Lamla Momoti, Zandile Nojoko, Phumeza Gadu, Zenay Jordaan, Nomathamsanqa Faleni, Namhla Siyolo, Cebisa Kula, Sisphosethu Tshangana (Eastern Province), Dolly Mavumengwana, Lusanda Mtiya (KwaZulu-Natal), Natasha Hofmeester, Nedene Botha, Laurian Johannes, Denita
Wentzel, Janine Felix (Western Province), Onicca Moaga (SWD). Team Management: Denver Wannies (Coach), Dumisani Mhani (Assistant-coach), Denzil van Heerden (Biokineticist), Tanushree Pillay (physiotherapist), Orna Prinsloo (Team Manager).
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