360º PERSPECTIVES | ISSUE 7 | 2020/2021
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Rugby star assumes top leadership role at Rugby Africa » University of the Western Cape (UWC) alumna and Springbok women’s rugby captain Babalwa Latsha’s impressive contribution to global women’s rugby, on and off the field, is growing in leaps and bounds. ATSHA, AN LLB GRADUATE FROM UWC, was
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recently named as one of 11 members of Rugby Africa’s Sub-Committee for Player Welfare and Participation, which falls under the organisation’s newly created Women’s Rugby Advisory Committee (WRAC). The WRAC’s purpose is to advise all Rugby Africa committees on positive gender inclusion practices with a focus on women’s rugby. According to a statement by the South African Rugby Union, Latsha’s role on the subcommittee will involve offering guidance and suggestions in the areas of women’s rugby development and player welfare. Latsha’s appointment follows a rewarding 2020 season off the field in which she was named one of 10 Springbok Women’s Unstoppables and 12 Rugby Africa Unstoppables aligned with World Rugby’s ‘Try and Stop Us’ women’s rugby campaign. The World Rugby campaign was launched in 2019 with the objectives of lifting the profile of women’s rugby and attracting new fans, players and sponsors to the game. Latsha joined the Spanish side SD Eiber Femenino last year, the first woman’s rugby player in Africa to sign a
professional contract in the 15s. She was delighted with her appointment. “It means a great deal to me to be able to contribute to the growth and development of women’s rugby on our continent,” Latsha said in the SA Rugby statement. She added: “I am massively honoured that I have that privilege, so that we as a collective may have an impact and effect some genuine positive changes within the women’s rugby landscape in Africa. This role is one that I embrace fully and I’m seriously grateful for it. I’m very much proud of the fact that I’m part of the bigger picture – that we are not just players but people of real impact within the sport we hold dear to our hearts.”
Babalwa Latsha. >
