When Voice Ndou started playing rugby, her dream was to play for the DHL Western Province Women’s (WP) team because of their “exceptionally high standards of rugby,” but her journey has surpassed her expectations.
The sterling performances of Ndou, a final-year student in Sport Recreation and Exercise Science at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), earned her a call-up to represent the Zimbabwean Lady Cheetahs in the African Rugby Afrique Women’s Olympics qualifiers held in Monastir, Tunisia last month.
Although Ndou performed remarkably well during the tournament, scoring breath-taking tries, unfortunately the Lady Cheetahs fell short of qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Nevertheless, her selection meant a lot to her.
“Representing the national team means that we represent every girl back in Zimbabwe who dreams of representing the national team and playing on a big platform like the Olympic qualifiers. And to be a good role model to every girl, and inspire them to know it’s possible to achieve big dreams.”
Ndou has already made a name for herself in the local rugby scene. After she started playing rugby in 2015, she was chosen to play for the Golden Lions under 16s. While in her first year of studying at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Ndou played for UJ women’s rugby and was awarded a full scholarship for 2018 - 2019.
She also represented South African Students in the FISU World University Games 2018 in Namibia, and travelled to Italy to play in the 2019 FISU Summer World Student Games. Through all of this, she trained under coach Paul Delport with the Springbok Women’s Sevens team.
But her most significant achievement was joining the WP team early this year. “WP is one of the best teams in the country for women’s rugby and being a part of it takes a lot of hard work, determination, focus and patience. So for me, just to be selected showed me that the team has much growth within and can allow you to excel since you are already within the best.”
The 23-year-old winger believes her exposure to WP rugby has made her a better player and leader. “With all the experience I'm getting from the Western Province, I will bring it back to the University and try to get my team to the same level of rugby.”
Ndou, UWC women’s rugby captain, emphasised the importance of patience and the ability to control what the team could influence. This leadership role not only contributed to her personal growth as a player, but also translated into excellence on the field and into the rebuilding of the UWC women’s rugby team.
When she arrived at UWC, the women’s rugby team faced challenges in recruiting players. This situation was exacerbated by the outbreak of Covid-19, which restricted human contact. By the time Covid-19 restrictions were lowered, many athletes had graduated, meaning the team had to start the recruiting process from scratch.
At present, UWC has attracted 40 students to the rugby team, and Ndou credits management and team work. “One thing about the UWC team is that we are a family and have come a long way. For us to be where we are, it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Just getting a team together was the most uniting thing we did as a team, and just making sure everyone that came stayed. So that alone showed how we care for each other’s development and wellbeing.”
Ndou has learned to balance her busy schedule: academics and rugby. “When there are tournaments or international tours for national duty, I try to do the work before leaving campus. If not, I will apply for an absence and do the work when I return.”
She advised upcoming athletes that sports participation can lead to unexpected opportunities and new friendships you can keep forever. “But we also excel in the academic department since we are students before we are athletes. But then that goes hand in hand. Just ensure you manage your time effectively and have a good schedule that best fits your academic and athletic life.”
The sterling performances of Ndou, a final-year student in Sport Recreation and Exercise Science at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), earned her a call-up to represent the Zimbabwean Lady Cheetahs in the African Rugby Afrique Women’s Olympics qualifiers held in Monastir, Tunisia last month.
Although Ndou performed remarkably well during the tournament, scoring breath-taking tries, unfortunately the Lady Cheetahs fell short of qualifying for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Nevertheless, her selection meant a lot to her.
“Representing the national team means that we represent every girl back in Zimbabwe who dreams of representing the national team and playing on a big platform like the Olympic qualifiers. And to be a good role model to every girl, and inspire them to know it’s possible to achieve big dreams.”
Ndou has already made a name for herself in the local rugby scene. After she started playing rugby in 2015, she was chosen to play for the Golden Lions under 16s. While in her first year of studying at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Ndou played for UJ women’s rugby and was awarded a full scholarship for 2018 - 2019.
She also represented South African Students in the FISU World University Games 2018 in Namibia, and travelled to Italy to play in the 2019 FISU Summer World Student Games. Through all of this, she trained under coach Paul Delport with the Springbok Women’s Sevens team.
But her most significant achievement was joining the WP team early this year. “WP is one of the best teams in the country for women’s rugby and being a part of it takes a lot of hard work, determination, focus and patience. So for me, just to be selected showed me that the team has much growth within and can allow you to excel since you are already within the best.”
The 23-year-old winger believes her exposure to WP rugby has made her a better player and leader. “With all the experience I'm getting from the Western Province, I will bring it back to the University and try to get my team to the same level of rugby.”
Ndou, UWC women’s rugby captain, emphasised the importance of patience and the ability to control what the team could influence. This leadership role not only contributed to her personal growth as a player, but also translated into excellence on the field and into the rebuilding of the UWC women’s rugby team.
When she arrived at UWC, the women’s rugby team faced challenges in recruiting players. This situation was exacerbated by the outbreak of Covid-19, which restricted human contact. By the time Covid-19 restrictions were lowered, many athletes had graduated, meaning the team had to start the recruiting process from scratch.
At present, UWC has attracted 40 students to the rugby team, and Ndou credits management and team work. “One thing about the UWC team is that we are a family and have come a long way. For us to be where we are, it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Just getting a team together was the most uniting thing we did as a team, and just making sure everyone that came stayed. So that alone showed how we care for each other’s development and wellbeing.”
Ndou has learned to balance her busy schedule: academics and rugby. “When there are tournaments or international tours for national duty, I try to do the work before leaving campus. If not, I will apply for an absence and do the work when I return.”
She advised upcoming athletes that sports participation can lead to unexpected opportunities and new friendships you can keep forever. “But we also excel in the academic department since we are students before we are athletes. But then that goes hand in hand. Just ensure you manage your time effectively and have a good schedule that best fits your academic and athletic life.”
