Mylie can’t play school rugby

Despite being allowed to play rugby against boys at junior level for the Brakpan Junior Rugby Club, the youngster is not able to play rugby at her school, Laerskool Die Arend.

After getting a run-out for the school’s u-12B side in a recent match against Laerskool Elspark (and apparently becoming the first girl in her school’s history to play rugby in a boys’ team) the youngster will not be allowed to play against the boys at school level again, much to her disappointment.

Cobus Barnard, chairman of Ekurhuleni Valke Primary School Rugby, said that according to article 14.13 of the constitution of the Ekurhuleni Valke Primary School Rugby Association, affiliated to the South African Schools Rugby Association (Sasra), the body that organises and administers rugby in South African Schools, girls may only play rugby in all-girl teams against other fully-fledged girls teams.

He said that the organisational structures and laws of primary school rugby are different to those at club level, which is administered by the Valke Rugby Union itself.

Barnard said that there has been a drive to get Sevens rugby up and running in primary schools, particularly for girls, but it has not been too successful.

He suggested that she continue to pursue her rugby dreams through her club.

Mylie’s u-12B coach at Die Arend, Gert Botes said that it was great to have her on the team.

“It was completely new to me to have a girl on the team and I thought ‘let’s give it a chance’,” he said.

“I didn’t see why she could not play as her mother had given her full permission for her to play.

“We were concerned that we would receive objections when we play against other schools, so I decided to find out what the right procedure is.

“I spoke to Cobus who told me that mixed sides may not happen at primary school level and girls must play in girl-only sides.

“Many other factors play a role in that rule, for example, some boys don’t want to bind with her and it might be uncomfortable for her if they must pick her up.

“Another problem comes where the opposition boys don’t want to tackle her.

“They feel that we have an unfair advantage because it’s a boy’s instinct not to hurt her.

“She will tackle them though and she can take the tackles, but as a school, it was decided that it won’t be taken further.

“There are rules in place.”

Asked if there should be a team for girls he said: “We should give girls an opportunity, but I see it as being difficult because the netball season falls in the same season as the rugby season so there won’t be enough numbers.

“Another problem is you need hands to help with coaching and you also need opposition.”

Also read: Tough Loftus outing for Panne

Holding back the tears, Mylie told the Herald: “I am a bit disappointed, but I hope I can carry on and make my own girls’ team.

“A lot of girls in my school want to play rugby.

“I hope that I can keep on going with my club and play to my fullest.

“I hope everyone will continue to stand behind me.”

When asked about her one and only appearance for her school she said: “When I came on the field, nobody recognised me as a girl because of my scrum-cap.

“It felt really good to be on the field and we played a good game.

“I left my heart on the field.”

She added that her friends in the u-12B team are upset that she cannot play on the team anymore.

“For me, it’s very unfair, because why can I play club rugby and not play rugby at school?

“I want to live my dreams and I can’t do that because I’m not allowed to play at school.”

Mylie said that her mentor, Brakpan Rugby Club’s first team biokineticist and current South African Strongest Woman and former Springbok women’s rugby player Xena Botha, encouraged her to continue playing rugby and to try to start a girls’ touch/tag rugby team out of interested schoolgirls.

If any girls are interested in forming a side they can email their names, age and school to Botha at zinectra@gmail.com

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