Two Curro Delft learners have earned a place in South Africa’s first-ever SA Schools Under-18 Girls rugby teams, with Inga Jim taking on the added honour of captaining the historic side, Cape {town} Etc reports.
For two young rugby players from Delft, what started as a school opportunity has now become a place in South African sporting history. Curro Delft learners Inga Jim and Lethokuhle Madwayi have been selected for the inaugural SA Schools Under-18 Girls rugby squads, announced following the FNB U18 Girls Week in Gqeberha.
Inga has been named as a loose/utility forward and will captain the inaugural team, while Lethokuhle has been selected at prop. The two 26-player squads will meet at Grey High School, adding another first to a programme that marks a major step forward for girls’ rugby at school level.
The significance of the selection goes beyond the two players. South African schoolboys have had national representative teams for decades, but the introduction of the two girls’ squads opens a new chapter in the country’s school rugby history. Western Province has the strongest representation across the two squads, with 15 players selected, including Inga and Lethokuhle.
For the two Delft learners, however, the historic moment is also the result of years of work on the field. Inga’s rugby journey began when she was 13, and Curro Delft launched a girls’ rugby team. Inspired partly by her older brother, she decided to give the sport a try.
The decision quickly developed into something much bigger. She has since represented Western Province for three consecutive years and played for Western Cape U15 sevens and fifteens teams in 2023. Now, she finds herself leading a national schoolgirls’ team at a moment when women’s rugby is continuing to expand its footprint.
‘To this day, I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that I got the opportunity to make history in women’s rugby.’
– Inga Jim
The announcement itself was an emotional one. Inga had just finished her team’s final pool match against Eastern Province when the squad names were read out. As she waited, she quietly repeated: ‘Please, Lord’. Then her own name was called.
‘A wave of emotion hit me instantly,’ she recalled. ‘I was overwhelmed by happiness and relief.’
Lethokuhle experienced a similarly unforgettable moment. While celebrating the team’s victory over Eastern Province, her teammates began pushing her forward and telling her she had been selected. She did not believe them at first, with her name having to be called three times before the reality finally sank in.
‘The first thing I did was cry; I did not expect to make it at all.’ – Lethokuhle Madwayi
Her route into rugby was less planned than Inga’s. Having previously played hockey and tennis, Lethokuhle joined Curro Delft’s girls’ rugby team almost on a whim. It did not take long before she discovered that rugby was where she wanted to be. The sport also gave her something beyond a place on the field: greater confidence in herself.
Both players credit their families and coaches for helping them reach this point. For Inga, their encouragement helped her navigate the highs and lows of a sporting journey that did not always move in a straight line.
Lethokuhle says her parents helped her maintain a balance between schoolwork and rugby, while her coaches saw potential in her even when she was still learning to recognise it herself. This support now accompanies them into a completely new environment.
Both players say their immediate goal is to learn, embrace the opportunity and understand what it takes to compete at this level. For Inga, there is also the added responsibility of wearing the captain’s armband in a team that will forever be remembered as the first.
Her message to younger girls who dream of following a similar path is simple: setbacks should not define what an athlete believes is possible. ‘Don’t let anything stop you,’ she said, ‘because if not you, then who?’
Lethokuhle has a similarly straightforward message, drawing on advice from her principal: ‘If you believe it, you can achieve it.’ However, she believes belief has to be backed up by effort, a willingness to learn and the courage to make mistakes.
For Curro Delft, the achievement is about more than two players being selected. Executive Head Ruan Beukes said their success reflects the commitment and discipline they have shown throughout their rugby development.
‘Having Inga and Lethokuhle selected for the first-ever SA Schools Girls team is an incredibly proud moment for our school and for everyone who has supported them along the way.’
– Ruan Beukes, Executive Head
He said the historic selection could also inspire other girls at the school to see rugby as a sport in which they can build a future. This may ultimately be one of the most important outcomes of this milestone.
For young girls watching from Delft and elsewhere in the Western Cape, seeing two local school learners move from a school rugby field to a national representative team offers something that cannot be measured by a scoreline.
Be the first to know – Join our WhatsApp Channel for content worth tapping into! Click here to join!
Also Read:
Cape Town braces for rugby fever as Springboks face All Blacks this Saturday
Picture: Supplied
