Lesotho Rugby Academy mourns loss of future stars

On 22 June 2019 the rugby community in Lesotho was rocked by the news that five players from the Lesotho Ladies U16 team passed away following a tragic car accident on the way to a match in Bloemfontein, with several other players injured.

The girls had been selected to represent their country in a regional league in South Africa, and came from a number of schools that the Lesotho Rugby Academy works with: Lancers Gap (Atlas All Schools Programme), Khubetsoana High School, Tsepo High School (Atlass All School), Mabathoana High, Phomolong High School, St James High School.

In the midst of the darkest moment in the history of rugby in Lesotho, the Academy team and the Federation of Lesotho Rugby were comforted by the love and support conveyed by the rugby family, both in Lesotho and across the world. As a demonstration of the strength of the community, players, coaches and supporters from all teams in Lesotho met at the border post as the girls came home for the last time.

 “Those girls stood for something. They stood for hope, in a country where rugby has just started, they were the future. They stood for equality, in a sport that has always been seen as a man’s game. They were a team, and they were our girls. Our deepest sympathies go out to their families, friends and teammates, and to the girls who were injured in this terrible incident.” – Dan Aylward-Mills

“My heart is really broken” – Coach Roy