Daphne Scheepers has played every sport that could possibly be associated with girls, and wears the Eastern Cape Rugby jersey with pride, but that’s not all she plays.
Born and bred in Johannesburg, Scheepers came to the Eastern Cape at the age of eleven and has played almost every sporting code from netball to soccer.
Daphne Scheepers has played every sport that could possibly be associated with girls, and wears the Eastern Cape Rugby jersey with pride, but that’s not all she plays.
Born and bred in Johannesburg, Scheepers came to the Eastern Cape at the age of eleven and has played almost every sporting code from netball to soccer.
Now the 25 year old woman from Extension 6 says rugby is in her blood and that she wishes to one day play for the South African womens rugby team.
“When my family relocated to Grahamstown a few years ago I participated in every sporting code that was available at school,” she says.
Scheepers plays for the Lily White Rugby Club in Grahamstown and is also one of the only two girls from Grahamstown to play in the Eastern Cape rugby team.
“It’s very good to be one of the fortunate players to represent the province of the Eastern Cape. Because of that I have been able to go places I would never have been able to go by myself,” she says shyly.
Scheepers played netball at her former school before she found out that she was better at rugby than anything else. “I played every sporting code with passion, but when I started rugby I just knew that it was my sport,” she says.
Scheepers doesn’t only play rugby, she also represents Cacadu district municipality in an indigenous game called dibeke, and will soon represent the district in this year’s national indigenous games in Durban later in the year.
The team is about to start practicing for the indigenous games in Durban soon. “I always see every other sport that I play as something that I do on the side. My first love would always be rugby, and that’s the sport I want to progress in,” she says.
“This year will be my first time participating in the national indigenous games and I really feel honoured to represent my province, but my love is always rugby,” she says with a smile.
Scheepers, who works at the Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture, says that she misses going to camp with her EP team mates and wishes she was a fulltime rugby player.
“I wish rugby could be the only thing that I can concentrate on, and nothing else really. Whenever we go to camp I just wish I could be there forever,” she says.
“I am happy that rugby is taken very seriously in the Eastern Cape and that I can at least have hope that if I train hard and maintain my place in the team I will one day be considered for the senior national rugby team.”
