Curro Hillcrest Learners head to England for Touch Rugby Youth World Cup. Two Grade 11 learners from Curro Hillcrest in Durban have been selected to play in South Africa’s High-Performance Touch Rugby Squad at the Youth World Cup, to be held in England in July 2023. Rachel Reardon, who plays the link position, has been selected for the under 20s ladies team while Sasha Ngobese, who plays in the middle position, has been selected for the under 18s ladies team.

Both girls were chosen for the international squad by external coaches immediately after triumphing in the inter-provincial tournament and this is the first time they will travel abroad and represent their country, a significance not lost on them. “Making the SA team is an absolute blessing, and I am incredibly honoured to have the opportunity to represent my country next year. I am already filled with butterflies and excitement. Touch rugby is all about trusting your team and supporting them. Even though it takes the whole team to make everyone shine, I personally really enjoy the adrenaline and strategy involved,” says Reardon.

Sasha Ngobese and Rachel Reardon

It’s a sentiment echoed by Ngobese, who, despite having had a challenging upbringing, has found sport to be her saving grace, helping secure her a coveted sport and academic scholarship at Curro Hillcrest. Like Reardon, she began playing touch rugby in Grade 6 and was immediately fascinated by the minimal contact sport, which promotes the fundamental skills of running, passing, catching, evasion, and support play. “It is an unbelievable feeling to know that I have been chosen to be a part of a squad that will represent my country. I am beyond grateful for the support of my mom and my school, without them I would not have been able to achieve this fantastic goal. Touch rugby is a game of sweat and talent. It is quite tough, competitive, and physically demanding, but I see this as a chance to push myself and do even better. I am very lucky to be able to have so much fun, playing the sport that I love, and this makes the selection even more special,” she says.

Reardon and Ngobese’s selection completes a 16 strong South African Touch team, known as Touchboks, who will compete for either a gold, silver, or bronze medal in England next year. Both girls have been trained by coach Meekah Cocking, a bronze medal winner herself in the under 18 ladies world cup of 2018. “We are extremely proud of Sasha and Rachel on their selection and we wish them everything of the best as they pursue their dreams in touch rugby,” concludes Paul Guthrie, Executive Head at Curro Hillcrest.