Springbok Women blindside flanker and former Border Ladies captain Lusanda Dumke had high hopes of returning to the national team — but on Tuesday she lost her battle with cancer. The East London rugby sensation, who was named SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year in 2022, passed away at 3.30am at East London’s Life St Dominic’s Hospital. Dumke, 28, had been battling a rare stomach cancer which forced her to step away from rugby in August.
This meant she could not be selected for the Springbok Women’s World Cup squad, which made it as far as the quarterfinals of the tournament in the UK. Her eldest sister, Nwabisa, said her omission from the team broke her. “She loved rugby so much, it was all that she knew, though she was in pain.
“Being unable to compete in the World Cup really worried her. “She had hoped to return to play for the Springboks once she had recovered.” Nwabisa said her sister’s cancer diagnosis had affected her mentally. “This really cut her dream and all she wanted was to live.
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She had dreams she wanted to fulfil and she really did not like being in that situation. “She was disappointed — but we can’t control how life works.”
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