Members of the Border rugby fraternity will gather at the East London City Hall on Monday for a memorial service to pay their last respects to the union’s fallen stalwart, Thozama “Sis Thoz” Mtya. Born in Kwelera, she was known for her decades-long advocacy for the rights of rugby players in the Border region. “Let the players play; they have not done anything.
Deal with the executive,” was her motto at the time. At club rugby level, she was known for her support of Mdantsane team Swallows, where the likes of Makazole Mapimpi played. She would open her home to players travelling from far afield to enable them to settle into the team’s environment.
Her older brother, former Springbok Thobile Mtya, said the family had lost a pillar of strength. He said his sister’s love for rugby started in 1977, when she went to games to support him when he was playing. “I started playing rugby in 1977 and then joined Swallows in 1982,” Thobile said.
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“She was vital in my development as a player and would advise me. You would feel her presence when she was watching the game. “Her motivation for us was tremendous, especially when we played our rivals, Winter Rose. She was like an agent and took all the guys from the villages close to Mdantsane and convinced them to play for Swallows.
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