Lock-forward Sinelitha Noxeke has received her maiden Springbok call-up after an impressive season in Tshwane. She will be joined by 12 of her teammates as the herd of Bulls Daisies report for national duty after a short break with the conclusion of the domestic women’s competition.
Noxeke, who won the 2023 ‘Forward Player of the Year’ award, proved to be an invaluable fit to Hayden Groepes’ side, dominating opposition as she added her abrasive style of play from the second row. She featured in 13 matches for the Daisies with a total of 724 playing minutes throughout the season.
Noxeke touts the season she has spent with the Daisies as being instrumental in her getting the Springbok nod.
“The professional setup has been great for all of us and I can see the benefits of it even on a personal level. It is a privilege that has truly allowed me to find consistency in how I do my work. At the beginning of the season, the challenge was to make sure I get a spot and once I got that, it was up to me to get the job done and the high-performance environment really got the best out of me, said Noxeke.”
“I am excited to be joining the national squad because this means I have reached my short-term goal for the year, and it proves that I did carry myself like a professional. Now the real work begins in the sense that I must continue working hard to maintain the standard and make sure that I can achieve way more.”
COACH GROEPES WEIGHS IN
Speaking on his thirteen Daisies joining the national team, coach Hayden Groepes said: “This is a great reward for the ladies after a long season of hard work. I am pleased for each and every one of them that have been called up, this is a privilege that they have each earned through consistency and effort.”
“It is great to see Sinelitha among them because she has been phenomenal for us this season. She has the mentality of a champion, with a work rate that is second to none and you can see that she loves to play the game every time she steps onto the field. I am happy for her as I am for everyone else, and I wish them all of the very best,” said Groepes.
On the introduction of the WXV competition, Groepes said: “This is a great introduction to the expansion efforts of the women’s game. This competition could eventually evolve to become something similar (in stature) to the Rugby Championship, serving as a great draw card to the women’s game. There is great promise of competition, balance and motivation for the ladies to go all out and entertain. It has been a long time coming and I cannot wait to see the teams run out and play,”
“I hope they enjoy the moments as they continue to be pioneers of the sport for young girls who watch on.”
The other notable Daisie call-up is that of Micke Gunther who returns to the Bok fold since the conclusion of the 2022 Rugby World Cup.
The Springbok ladies are preparing for the start of the inaugural World Rugby WXV competition, where they will be competing in Division 2 against Italy, Japan, Scotland, Samoa and the USA. Matches for WXV 2 will be hosted in Stellenbosch (at the Danie Craven Stadium) and in Cape Town (Athlone Stadium) from 13 to 28 October.
BULLS DAISIES HEADING ON NATIONAL DUTY: Asithandile Ntoyanto, Byhandre Dolf, Jacomina Cilliers, Lerato Makua, Libbie Janse van Rensburg, Lusanda Dumke, Micke Gunter, Rumandi Potgieter, Sinelitha Noxeke, Unathi Mali, Unam Tose, Vainah Ubisi, Yonela Ngxingolo
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