Masingita Simango, the captain of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) women’s rugby team is basking in glory over winning the 2022 Varsity 7s Rugby tournament and the Player of the Tournament Award.
“I am a strong believer that expectations destroy dreams and goals. I went into the tournament without any expectations. We only just wanted to perform to the best of our abilities as a team. To finally see our hard work paying off in winning the entire tournament, meant a lot to me and the rest of the team,” explains Simango.
Simango says winning the Varsity 7s was remarkable and memorable. Simango, who comes from Peninghotsa village around the Malamulele area in Limpopo, started playing rugby in 2013 but her career picked up in 2014 when she played for the Mastercard Golden Lions. She played for their Under-16, 18 and the senior team since 2017 post her matric.
Thus far, she has since played 23 matches with the Mastercard Golden Lions senior women. She also played for Soweto Eagles in 2017 before joining UJ in 2019. At UJ, she completed a diploma in Transport Management and is currently pursuing an advanced diploma in Transport Management.
Speaking on some of the challenges in her rugby playing career, Simango says she struggled financially. Her passion for the sport carried her through the difficult times. “I keep myself motivated. It is key to a long lasting sports career, I am the reason why I shouldn’t give up on anything,” says Simango.
