She Vultures demand recognition
The captain of the women’s senior national rugby team Kagiso Makgatho this week accused the Botswana Rugby Union (BRU) of not doing enough to support the national ladies team. Makgatho, who is also player- Coach for the Botswana Accountancy College North (BAC N) team was speaking shortly after hammering UB Rhinos 14-5 this past weekend at SSKB stadium to claim the 2017 BRU ladies league championship title.
The ladies final game was a thriller and full of flair. The pulsating game had brought the stadium to a still in the early minutes of the game. However BAC N swiftly snatched the game away from the UB side to win the national championship. The ladies showed great stamina on match day. Makgatho said that given a chance, they have the ability to perform better than their male counterparts. One of her biggest concern was the fact that the ladies team did not have its own kit. “We are currently using the men’s baggy kit, it does not fit majority of the ladies and it makes us uncomfortable,” Makgatho said.
Even though Makgatho seemed uncomfortable discussing challenges facing the ladies team, she said the management is currently relaxed and does not take them seriously.To add insult to injury, Makgatho further accused BRU of not trying hard enough to seek international friendly games for them this year. With the 2017 season already wrapped up; the team can only wait for next year. “How do they expect us to grow if we keep playing against ourselves locally, we cannot grow without competition from across borders,” she said.
The outspoken Makgatho also expressed concern that the female teams keep dying and resurfacing despite bringing home positive results at international stages. “This is an on -going complaint from us to the management,” said Makgatho.Meanwhile sources with the BRU management also expressed displeasure with rugby Botswana arguing that the ladies team performs better than their male counterparts. However the men’s team is still given more recognition. The source called on BRU to up their game.
“I am not saying we should abandon men, we need to balance the two in order to get positive results.”According to the world rugby rankings, which are determined by the male team performance, Zimbabwe and South Africa are ranked above Botswana. However the local ladies triumphed against the two countries a few months back. Reached for comment, BRU Secretary General Ernest Mantsi said he could not comment on the kit issue. “I have no comment on the matter,” he said. Nevertheless he rubbished Makgatho’s allegations concerning the friendly games drought arguing that the ladies team played against Zimbabwe and South Africa this year and that shows effort from their side.