World Rugby selected Babalwa Latsha, a prominent South African female rugby player, as part of their International Women’s Day Campaign.
South Africa (08 March 2022) – Babalwa Latsha is a shining star on the rugby field and always flies the South African flag high. World Rugby chose six inspiring women as part of their International Women’s Day campaign, and Latsha’s story is one to be proud of!
Babalwa Latsha was named one of the top 12 leading women in rugby in Africa in 2020. This massive achievement is a testament to the incredible player she is, both on the field and off it.
Latsha made her Test debut with the Springbok Women on the team’s UK Tour in 2018, and because of her incredible leadership skills, she was made the captain of the team in 2019 during the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup. The ladies also attended the 2021 Rugby World Cup Qualifier during this time.
South Africans were so proud of Latsha when she became the first female South African 15-a-side rugby player to sign a professional contract when outside of South Africa. She joined Spanish club SD Eibar Femenino, now this great accolade!
She shares that she never knew rugby was a female sport, and when she went to university, she joined the team and never looked back. Now the sport is her way of breaking barriers and inspiring women from her community to use the sport as a way to climb up out of the violence and poverty they face.
Not only is she breaking barriers in female rugby, but she also helps break the taboo of menstruation by assisting young girls in discussing their periods and gaining access to free sanitary products through the organisation, The Menstruation Foundation.
She hopes to one day move beyond the field and work with World Rugby or with policymakers to boost the female sport.
Take a look at Latsha’s interview with World Rugby below.
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