The newly established women’s rugby team at Gordon’s Bay Pioneers are recruiting members with open arms and have extended an invite to anyone interested in joining the club to come forward.
They were formed barely two years ago during the pandemic and are building the team from bottom up, whilst at the same time having fun staying fit together.
The women’s team had started the pre-season all guns blazing, are hard at training at the Naval Grounds and have already been invited to the Hermanus Sevens next month as part of a development league tournament.
So far the team is made up of several juniors and some seniors, but are hopeful that numbers will increase and they will soon be able to field a full junior team and full senior team.
At the helm of the club stands Jacqui Grotius-Burns, who has practically played rugby all over the country. She cut her teeth in the sport in the Free State where she grew up, and later played in Pretoria for the Bulls before playing provincially for the Griffons.
“But I’ve never coached before,” she admits, adding that it took some convincing from the chairs of GB Pioneers to have her on board.
“It was always something I was interested in, but I hadn’t played professionally in 12 years so I had to think really hard about this opportunity. In the end I jumped on and never looked back.”
The team, which started with just 11 members and has now grown to 30 members, focuses on the development of players and is adamant one doesn’t need any experience to join the team – and neither is there any club fees for the women’s team.
Grotius-Burns says the first year was about organising the club and last year they had set-up a management committee and had structured the team.
“This year we want to accomplish much more, especially in the light of a potential full season. We’ve been taking small steps, slowly building a team to be reckoned with.”
Her assistant coach, Anni Pretorius, forms an integral part of the team and adds that interest among young girls has significantly increased this year.
“When some girls joined us they were scared to tackle and a bit unsure of themselves on the field, but they’re growing with confidence and it’s refreshing to see them really enjoying themselves. They’ve also become part of a family.”
The club is registered and affiliated with WP Rugby, and are adamant that this is not just about rugby but also a platform to reach personal goals and live a healthier lifestyle.
“At the sevens tournament we will be able to break the ice as a team and measure where we are as a team so that we’ll have a better idea of the work we need to do to grow and improve. We extend an open invitation to all ladies, wherever you are, you will be welcome here and we’ll be so happy for you to join us.”
The team practises every Monday and Thursday at the Naval Grounds from 18:00 to 19:30.
. To get in touch with Grotius-Burns, feel free to contact her on 082 557 1736 or, if you like, contact Adel Ekron on 071 629 8995.
