Another Cheetahs try for Rammoko

Skh’okh’o impresses in SA league game

 NTHAKO MAJORO

MASERU – ’Mapaseka Rammoko scored another try when Cheetahs Women clobbered Griffons Women 107-5 in the South Africa (SA) Women First Division Rugby Championship at the Old Grey Stadium in Bloemfontein, South Africa, this past Saturday. Rammoko and her Lesotho rugby teammate, Mosongoa Monaheng, have each scored a try since joining the SA side.

A fortnight ago Monaheng scored a try for the Free State Senior Women Elite squad, also known as the Cheetahs, beating the same Griffons team 61-0 in a Test match in Welkom. “But this weekend’s match was quite difficult compared to the last game, even though I have managed to score another try against Griffons,” said Rammoko in an interview with Public Eye on Tuesday this week.

“Griffons came better organised this time around, especially in defence and it was not easy to penetrate them.” Rammoko further said: “But we eventually got the better of themselves and you will realise that with this weekend’s big score margin compared to the last match.” Another Lesotho player, Nthabeleng Lebetsa, was also in the starting line-up against Griffons again last Saturday. But Lebetsa did not play a full match because of a thigh injury.

“I would say I have played well even though I cannot compare my last Saturday’s performance with my first performance at Cheetahs a week before against the same Griffons team because I was substituted as a result of sustaining thigh injury,” said Lebetsa. After scoring try a week before against the same Griffons team, Lebetsa and Rammoko’s teammate from Lesotho, Monaheng, was not given a run last Saturday. However, Monaheng is not discouraged by missing last weekend’s action, instead she is hoping to play in the next game against Griquas Women on July 16.

“My team put up a good performance yesterday (last Saturday) and I have nothing to complain about,” said Mosongoa in an interview with Public Eye last Sunday. “Two Lesotho players were in the starting line-up for this session except me but I am going to play in the next session.” Apart from Griffons and Griquas, Cheetahs are also pitted against the South Western Districts (SWD) Eagles in Group B, while Group A is made up of Leopards Women, Valke Women, Limpopo Bulls and Pumas Women.

The Lesotho trio was called up to the Cheetahs squad after the completion of the Free State Women Rugby League in which the Lesotho select team, Kingdom Select, also known as Lesotho Highlands, was among the competitors in the league. In Lesotho, Mohaneng plays for Maseru Warriors Women, Lebetsa for Mabote Beavers Women and Rammoko for Liqhomane Women. The trio is not the first female rugby players from Lesotho to be selected to the Cheetahs squad. The first players from Lesotho to get a Cheetahs call-ups were Palesa Pitso, Moliehi Mporoane and Mokias Phasumane, all in 2019; the difference is that none of the 2019 players made it to the final squad.