UZIMISELE ngokuthuthukisa umdlalo wakhe phesheya umdlali wamaBhokobhoko esifazane, uLindelwa Gwala, ngemuva kokusayina neqembu lase-England, i-Ealing Trailfinders.
Leli qembu lizobe lidlala esigabeni esiphezulu sabesifazane e-England, i-Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), okokuqala ngesizini ka-2023/24.
UGwala (25) osedlale imidlalo engu-25 eqenjini lesizwe washaya ama-try amahlanu, usayine inkontileka yeminyaka emibili naleli qembu elizinze e-Ealing, entshonalanga neLondon.
Lo mdlali odlala indawo ye-hooker, ubegijima eqenjini laKwaZulu-Natal, iSharks kanti ubeseqenjini lamaBhokobhoko elidlale eNdebeni yoMhlaba eNew Zealand nyakenye, lapho ayiqale khona yomithathu imidlalo yamaqoqo.
“Ngijabule kakhulu ngalolu hambo engizoluthatha. Ngikholwa wukuthi ngizofunda okuningi. Ngizoba kude nekhaya okusho ukuthi kuzomele ngikhule ngijwayele ukuphila nokudlala endaweni ehlukile,” usho kanje.
"Njengoba sekusele iminyaka emibili ngaphambi kweNdebe yoMhlaba ezayo, ezobanjelwa e-England, ngihlose ukusebenzisa ithuba lokufunda okuningi engingakwazi. Bengizothuthuka nasekhaya kodwa ngiya kwiligi ekwelinye izinga.”
UGwala okhulele eNanda, eThekwini, uthe wayengazi lutho ngombhoxo waze waqala ukuwudlala esikoleni. Kwaphinde kwathatha isikhathi ukuthi abazali bakhe bajwayele uhlobo lo mdlalo awukhetha.
“Umama ungowaseMzinyathi kanti ubaba ungowaseMaphephetheni, ngakho ngingasho ukuthi ngiwumkhiqizo wazo zombili lezi zindawo. Ngaqala ukudlala ibhola lombhoxo ngifunda uGrade 9 eMlazi Comtech High. Ngangimusha kulesi sikole ngakho kwakuyindlela enhle yokuthola abangani,” uchaze kanje.
“Ngibe sengiqokelwa eqenjini leSharks lika-Under 14 nelika-Under 16 ngaze ngagcina sengidlalela elikhulu. Ngaphambi kwalokho, ngangicabanga ukuthi uphawu lweSharks luwuphawu nje lwezimpahla zokugqoka.
“Umama waqala wabona sengathhi umbhoxo awungiyisi ndawo, ewubona umfaka ezindlekweni ngenxa yokuthi bengicela kuyena izinto, ngikhokhelwe uyena noma ngilimele.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi waqala ukubona ukuthi umbhoxo ungangiyisa phambili ngesikhathi ngithola umfundaze nangesikhathi ngiqokelwa eqenjini lesizwe.”
UGwala wathola umfundaze wokwenza izifundo zeComputer Science eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal kodwa wagcina engaziqedanga lezi zifundo.
Ngenxa yohlelo lwe-SA Rugby lokuthuthukisa abadlali, ukwazile ukubhalisa e-Setanta Institute, lapho esenza khona izifundo zeBachelor of Science emkhakheni we-Strength and Conditioning.
Isibalo sabadlali besifazane bamaBhokobhoko abathole amathuba okuyodlala phesheya kwezilwandle silokhu sikhula selokhu uBabalwa Latsha ajoyina iqembu laseSpain, i-Eibar, ngo-2020. Lokhu kwamenza umdlali wombhoxo wesifazane wase-Afrika wokuqala ukusayina inkontileka ekhokhelwayo.
ULatsha usanda kuvuselela inkontileka yakhe neHarlequins yase-England, lapho ezobe ehambisana nomunye uzakwabo wamaBhokobhoko, u-Aseza Hele. UZintle Mpupha uke wadlala e-England, egijima kwi-Exeter Chiefs kodwa sewabuyela kuleli wajoyina iBulls Daisies.
“Ukwazi ukuthi abanye abadlali baseNingizimu Afrika bake badlala e-England phambilini futhi benza kahle, kuyakhuthaza. UBabalwa uphinde wabuyela khona, okusho ukuthi kukhona okuhle okwenzekayo. Ngiyazi ukuthi bazongeluleka uma kukhona engikudingayo,” kusho uGwala.