Ernie Els’ daughter, Samantha, to make debut for Boks women’s team
The rugby player previously joined her famous dad at Augusta National Golf Club, playing the Masters Par 3 contest.
Ernie Els high fives his daughter. Samantha, during the Par 3 contest prior to the 2016 Masters tournament. Picture: Harry How/Getty Images
One of South Africa’s biggest sporting icons, golfer Ernie Els‘ daughter, Samantha, will make her Springbok Women’s rugby team debut on Tuesday when the national women’s rugby team take on the San Clemente Rhinos from California, USA, in a friendly match in Cape Town.
The 24-year-old Samantha is a lock forward and she’ll pack down in the scrum alongside Bok Women’s team captain Nolusindiso Booi.
Stanford University
Els plays her club rugby for New York Rugby Club in the USA, though she calls Herold’s Bay in the southern Cape her hometown. She is a former student and graduate of Stanford University in the USA where she studied Human Biology.
The Bok Women’s match at False Bay Rugby Club on Tuesday is the final opportunity for the South African women rugby players to show what they can do before coach Louis Koen picks his final squad for the WXV2 tournament in Cape Town next month.
Six teams will be in action at WXV2, including the Boks, two teams from Europe, one of USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and two other teams from Oceania and Asia.
South African golf fans got a first look at Samantha during the Masters Par 3 contest, which is held prior to the start of the tournament each year, in 2013 and 2024 when she joined her dad, Ernie, on the course. She also played in the 2016 competition.
Golfer Els, who lives in the USA, has won tournaments all around the world, including four Major titles, two US Opens and two (British) Open Championship titles. He currently plays on the senior PGA Tour.
