“Let me have the ball, and I will give you speed” is the promise Anele Mgwazela made to her teammates before the FISU World Students Sevens Rugby Championships in France.
The Tuks player has kept her word. Yesterday, in South Africa’s very first game against Spain, she scored a try. She also scored against Mexico. Today, against Poland, she again showed her opponents a clean pair of heels to ensure the teams won. The victory means the South African women’s team is still in the running to contest the playoffs.
The women’s team lost 24-12 against Spain but beat Mexico 24-10. South Africa had to dig deep to beat Poland 10-7. The victory came at a cost for the South Africans as the captain, Tracey Mthunzi (Tuks), dislocated her shoulder. It is doubtful if she will be able to take to the field against Japan. It is a must-win game for South Africa.
Mgwazela is a relative newcomer when it comes to playing rugby. At school, she was an avid netball player. She only started playing rugby last year when she began to study at Tuks. Everything changed when she saw women running with a ball, trying to sidestep opponents. It looked like fun, so she asked if she could join in.
“I thought I would give playing rugby a go for a week. If I don’t like it, I will return to playing netball. I never did go play netball again,” said the education student.
“I was pretty nervous when I had to play my first game in sevens rugby. I tried to run away from our opponents when I got the ball. I still got tackled. As I got up, I thought it was not that bad. From then on, I started to enjoy playing.
“A definite highlight was last year when Tuks went to play in France. That moment I scored a try is one I will never forget.”
As to why she loves rugby, Mgwazela said, “I love a good challenge. My reasoning is also that if the ‘boys’ can play rugby, why can’t I? My best quality on the field is that I bring ‘speed’. If you give me the ball, you get the ‘wheel’ when I run. My teammates call me ‘Habana.
“I owe a lot to my brother Samkelo Mgwazela, who is a professional footballer. He is the one who taught me to never give up on my dreams.”
The South African men’s team has won their first two games at the World Student Championships. They have beaten Singapore 72-0 and Poland 57-0. Tuks’s Kyle Cyster is part of the squad.
