– Travis Nightingale
Preparations for the World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championship were not as straightforward for the team and coaching staff as they would’ve liked. The team was made up of players from across South Africa, all coming from different walks of life, to unite with one common goal: to take on the strongest teams in World Deaf Rugby. Just getting to the tournament to compete had its challenges, from funding and sponsorships, to training camps and team selection. For the South African men’s Deaf rugby team, the tournament started with disruptions but ended with immense pride.
The road to the World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championship started in August of 2022 with multiple training camps set up in selected provinces. The selection process was a long one and was completed with the final high-performance camp of seventeen players in early April 2023, where the final twelve players were selected to represent their country on the global stage. Getting this far was an accomplishment in itself as the team were given national colours and recognition by both SARU and SASCOC – a first for the SA Deaf Rugby Association and their players.
The time soon came for the SA deaf rugby sevens squad of twelve players, along with coaches, Marlize Van Der Merwe, who became the first female head coach of a men’s team in World Deaf Rugby, her assistant coach Wayne Van Der Merwe, team manager Roelof Kotze, and Lauren Terras, Acting President (first female to hold this prestigious position in SARU structures) to head for Cordoba, Argentina to compete in the WDR7’s Championship that took place from the
5th to the 9th April 2023. It wasn’t plain sailing for the team as their original flight had been cancelled and they had to be rerouted the following day which caused the team to arrive at 9:30am on the morning of their first set of three fixtures, which started at 14:30pm, leaving the team with little time to rest, recover and prepare to play.
What had been a tough start continued for the team as they lost their first pool fixture against Australia, who would go on to place second at the tournament, 22-12. The team showed great character to bounce back in their second pool fixture against the host nation, Argentina, to win 24-12. The third and final pool game against England resulted in their second loss, ending 34-5. These results left the team with a quarter final clash against Fiji, which they won 21-14 to secure a semi final matchup against Australia. The match never went South Africa’s way and they lost 22-5. A playoff for third and fourth place against previous silver medalists England was the sides final fixture, which they lost 21-12. This cemented their overall fourth place position at the World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championship showpiece. A special mention must go to MyPlayers Association in getting boots for all the players to play in, in Argentina.
It doesn’t end there for this incredible group of players. Exciting plans are being made for the future with neighbours, Zimbabwe looking to set up matches in Gauteng later this year. The team has also signed up for the Jozi 10’s tournament happening in August and the remaining 10’s tournaments for the year. This is another first as a disabled team will feature in the tournaments for the first time. International sides Wales, England and Australia are set to travel to South African shores in 2024. South Africa will also be bidding to host the World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championship in 2025.
The South African Deaf Rugby Association has now set a precedent that must be upheld and developed upon to see the sport continue to grow for these minority groups, including youth and women. This tournament will go down as marker for what Deaf Rugby in South Africa can achieve with the help and support of national sporting bodies, private funding and sponsorship partners. None of what this team has achieved would be possible without them.
A special mention must go to the MyPlayers Association in getting boots for all the players. SA Rugby, DSAC, and Arcelor Mittal for their financial contribution and Jonsson Workwear, BananaskinZ, Trinity Clothing and Living Ball for their product partnerships.
The South African Deaf Rugby Association would like to encourage any partners or sponsors interested to come on board to help grow the game and develop a youth and women’s programme in the near future. For more information contact vp@sadeafrugby.co.za and join this exciting journey.