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Babalwa Latsha: How rugby led the South Africa prop to self-acceptance
By Josh Bamber
Growing up in Khayelitsha in Cape Town, South Africa, Babalwa Latsha only seriously started playing rugby while studying law at the University of the Western Cape.
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It was a decision that she is extremely grateful for, stating “rugby found me”, as the South African prop embraced her physique and grew her body confidence.
Now on a playing journey that has seen her become the first African woman to play professional rugby and captain her country, Latsha reflected on her career and the positive impact of the sport while on the latest episode of the Rugby Rising Locker Room.
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“I first got a glimpse of [rugby], surprisingly, in Khayelitsha, through a programme, a coaching clinic of sorts, I got curious of it. But I think I got a real serious taste of it when I got to university… That was the first time that I seriously picked up a rugby ball and considered playing it, which I did, and I just made team after team.
“Before that, I honestly never would have imagined that rugby was a thing, for girls more than anything else,” Latsha said.
While her career went from strength to strength, so did the confidence in her body, as a lifelong journey to acceptance was accelerated by the culture prevalent throughout rugby.
“It took me all my life to establish that relationship [with my body image], to embrace it, to help it flourish. How I viewed myself and how the world viewed me were two different things. To the world, I was labelled a tomboy, I was too strong, too muscular, my hair wasn’t straight enough.”
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“It took me embracing me to understand that, hey, actually, my body is amazing, just the way that it is. It does amazing things for me, and I think the best tool within that process for me was playing rugby, because when I play rugby, I wasn’t too strong or too big, my body was accepted, my image was accepted.”
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“How I looked was perfectly fine, and that helped me accept myself more than anything else.”
In a wide-ranging discussion with England prop Maud Muir and loose forward Sadia Kabeya, Latsha reflected on how rugby is a game built for everyone.
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Now in a position to inspire the next generation, Latsha is grateful for the role that she and others can play in inspiring others, providing positive role models on and off the field.
“Young people consume social media a lot; they consume what is put out there at alarming rates, so why not make sure we put the right things out there?”
“I’m really happy and proud that finally, the world is paying attention… and tapping into that potential that sportswomen have, that strong women have. It’s really empowering and amazing.”
A trailblazer in her own right, when in 2020, she moved to Spain to play professional rugby, Latsha is proud that there is now a pathway for talented African women to showcase their skills and abilities.
“It was quite a big moment, it still is, and I’m exceptionally proud of that step. More than anything, for me, it meant a brand-new avenue was open for African female rugby players; all we needed was an opportunity.”
“Talent is one thing that we are not short of in South Africa and in Africa as a whole; from a sporting perspective and even beyond. That one opportunity that I was fortunate enough to get to play overseas and to be the first was groundbreaking, but in the same breath for me, it was to create a path or blaze a trail for others to follow.”
“It wasn’t just about me, it meant so much more. It meant now a girl in Khayelitsha, where I grew up can dream bigger because there is a positive point of reference. Someone has done it before, so surely it must be possible.”
“It meant that you know my dream had come true, but more than anything, it was to say others’ dreams can come true, nothing is impossible, you just need one opportunity.”
Catch Babalwa Latsha’s full interview with Maud Muir and Sadia Kabeya on the latest episode of the Rugby Rising Locker Room, in partnership with Mastercard, available now on RugbyPass TV and in the new, free RugbyPass app, available in all app stores.
Watch the latest episodes of Stronger Than You Think on RugbyPass TV now
