SPORT NEWS - Chanelle Britz (19), a talented young rugby player from George who is dreaming of earning the Springbok emblem, is well on her way there.
She has made it to the 48-player Super League One Competition squad of the Free State Women’s Rugby (FSWR) Union.
The announcement of her inclusion on the squad was made on Sunday 14 December just after her arrival home in George from the SA U19 Elite Player Development (EPD) camp in Cape Town. Altogether 70 athletes were considered for the competition squad during a three-phase preseason assessment process.
For the humble, hardworking Britz, who formerly captained the U18 SWD women’s rugby team, her selection is a well-deserved reward.
She said the EPD camp in Cape Town was an excellent learning ground. “Very tough, but also very exciting! We players connected incredibly well with one another, as well as with the coaches.
"I also learnt many new things at the camp and became aware of my strengths and weaknesses, which inspired me to work even harder. My dream is to play alongside my role model, Ayanda Malinga, and to proudly wear the Springbok emblem on my chest while living out my passion.”
The 2024 Outeniqua High matriculant participated in hammer throwing at school, but it was her performance on the rugby field that earned her a four-year full bursary from the Central University of Technology (CUT) in Bloemfontein where she is currently a first-year art and design student.
She has been playing for the university women’s team. They earned a silver medal against the teams from other provinces, and toured to Pretoria for the USSA 15s and to Stellenbosch for the USSA Sevens, where she scored all of her team’s points in one of their six matches.
Britz was also selected for the U20 Cheetahs women’s rugby team that participated in the SA Women’s Week in Johannesburg earlier this year.
She is spending the Christmas holiday in George with her parents, but will keeping up her training during this time. Her father, Albert, says she is very goal-driven and works extremely hard to achieve what she has set out to do.
The selected competition squad will be taking part in a competition camp on Sunday 4 January, and their first official training session takes place the next day. The Super League One Competition (the rebranded Women’s Premier Division) kicks off on 14 February and will finish in mid-April.
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