Lukishia Sniders, 24, an athlete from Hanover Park, traveled to Australia to participate in an international tag rugby tournament representing South Africa. She managed to make this trip thanks to the support of her community, as she needed to raise 60,000 rand for participation in the competition.
Sniders is part of the South African women's open team, which will compete in Coffs Harbour from October 15 to 18. This is her first overseas trip, occurring just one year after she began playing tag rugby as a hobby.
The team departed from Cape Town International Airport on October 8 after several months of fundraising to cover travel expenses. The tournament will host around 200 teams and approximately 4,500 players and coaches, making it one of the largest events in the history of international tag rugby.
Sniders shared that she only started playing tag rugby after friends invited her to join for fun, but soon her interest became serious. 'I have been playing tag since last year. My friends invited me to a series just for fun games, but I ended up participating in a two-day selection,' she shared. 'In January, I received feedback, after which I was told I had been selected for the South African team.'
The athlete noted the emotional state regarding the upcoming trip: 'This is my first time abroad. And representing my country on top of everything else brings many emotions. I am excited, nervous, anxious, all at once.'
Besides tag rugby, Sniders plays touch rugby and coaches the women's team at Groote Schuur High School. However, getting to Australia proved to be a difficult task, as the team had to raise funds to pay for the trip. Since they are a non-profit organization, they faced a serious challenge: each player and coach required about 60,000 rand.
Sniders expressed gratitude to her community, family, and friends for helping to raise money for the tickets. The athlete explained: 'We are a non-profit organization and struggled to find funds; it was not easy. It costs about 60,000 rand per player, including coaches. We had to put in a lot of effort to raise the funds, but thanks to my community, family, and friends, I managed to raise the money.'
Now she is ready to fully dedicate herself to the international arena and prove that talent and determination can emerge from Hanover Park. 'My game plan is to do my best and just explore while I am there. When people hear Hanover Park, they think of violence and all the bad things shown in the news. But I am proud to be from Hanover Park. Despite poverty, there is always good that can come from your community. Your circumstances do not define your future; it all depends on the choices you make and who you become. My dream is to be part of the South African Women's team in the future,' she concluded.