By For years, the Springbok Women have fought hard for their space—earning their place on the rugby field, in sporting conversations, across media headlines, and inside stadiums. Now, South Africa’s national women’s rugby stars are leveraging that hard-won platform to tackle a battle far greater than any rugby match: women’s health and breast cancer awareness.
In a powerful collaboration with the non-profit organization Project Flamingo and backed by Engen SA, the Springbok Women have launched the “Make Room for Her” campaign. The initiative bridges the worlds of sport and healthcare under a singular, vital mission: ensuring that every woman in South Africa is seen, supported, and cared for.
Just as players must fight for every inch of turf on the pitch, Project Flamingo is working to make space in public hospital chemotherapy and treatment rooms, moving from the locker room to the frontlines of healthcare.
The Rugby Call-to-Action: Touch, Pause, Engage
To drive home the life-saving message, the Springbok Women have cleverly repurposed one of rugby’s most iconic sequences into a three-step health checklist for all women:
- TOUCH: Check your breasts monthly to understand what is normal for your body.
- PAUSE: Notice any unusual changes and refuse to ignore them.
- ENGAGE: Speak immediately to a healthcare professional or visit your nearest clinic.
The campaign launch brought together prominent rugby figures—including national players Babalwa Latsha, Nadine Roos, Insaaf Levy, and Chumisa Qawe, alongside international referee Aimee Barrett-Theron—at Groote Schuur Hospital’s renowned breast clinic in Cape Town. There, they met with Dr. Liana Roodt, founder and CEO of Project Flamingo, and the hospital’s multi-disciplinary care team.
Building Systems From the Inside Out
Dr. Roodt emphasized that this initiative transcends a typical awareness month. “Our women need systems that respond when they speak, pathways that work when they ask for help, and the confidence to claim the space that was theirs all along,” Dr. Roodt stated. Reflecting on the gravity of the cause, she noted that she is wearing black this October not in despair, but as an act of reflection to mourn the preventable suffering that has been allowed to become normalized.
For 16 years, Project Flamingo has tackled critical bottlenecks in South Africa’s public healthcare system through diagnostics, surgeries, patient support, and system strengthening. With SA Rugby throwing its full weight behind the partnership, the movement aims to turn hope into tangible, empowering change.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer acknowledged the parallel journeys of the rugby team and the healthcare advocates. “We know that our valued Springbok Women have had to earn their own room in South African sport, and that their journey has not always been an easy one,” Oberholzer said. “As SA Rugby, we are extremely proud to power forward together and make a genuine difference.”
Fuelling the Fight
Engen CEO George Roberts echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that making room for women means backing concrete action. “We are proud to stand alongside the Springbok Women and Project Flamingo in helping ensure more women are seen, heard and supported when it matters most.”
On and off the field, body-awareness remains a powerful tool. While the Springbok Women treat it as a scrum on the pitch, they are reminding the nation that for every woman, it is a life-saving monthly check-in. The team fought hard for their place in South African sport—now, they are calling on the entire country to Make Room for Her.
