Three girls, two from Hoërskool Monument High School and one from Krugersdorp High School (KHS), recently represented the West Rand at the Winter National School Sport Championships (NSSC), held in KuGompo (East London), as members of the Gauteng provincial girls’ rugby team.

Chezel Slabbert and Annebella van Wyngaard of Monnas, together with Vhugala Netshirembe of KHS, also recently earned places in the final 23-player Golden Lions Rugby Union squad. Their selection followed a series of trials held mainly at St Stithians College in Emmarentia, and the University of Johannesburg, where more than 100 players competed for spots in the squad.

The Winter NSSC was jointly hosted by the Departments of Basic Education and Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), with the tournament producing impressive performances and several unexpected results.

The DSAC revealed that more than 1 337 athletes from all nine provinces participated in this year’s Winter NSSC. The competition featured some of the country’s most promising young talent, including learners with special needs, who competed for championship honours in football, netball and rugby.

This year’s championships were not only dominated by the traditional powerhouses, as several other provinces delivered outstanding performances and were rewarded for their efforts.

The Gauteng U15 girls’ rugby team finished second in the competition after displaying resilience throughout the tournament. Slabbert once again captained the provincial side, adding to her growing list of achievements after receiving the Victrix Ludorum award last year while attending Monument Primary School.

Vhugala has also been named captain of the Gauteng U16 squad following her first cap for the Golden Lions.

The three players now hope to earn national recognition and have set their sights on representing South Africa in the future.