Sporty siblings make their mark on SA rugby scene

Mark Ward

At just 17 years old, Nuha Levy, from Bo-Kaap, is already making waves on the national rugby scene, having recently led the Western Province girls under-18 rugby team to a flawless victory at the prestigious SA Rugby’s Girls Week held at Queens High School in Johannesburg.

Under her captaincy, the WP team not only won the tournament but went unbeaten throughout, showcasing both the talent available in Cape Town and teamwork at the highest level of schoolgirls' rugby. A Grade 11 pupil at St Cyprian’s High School in Cape Town, her achievements don’t stop there. She also captains the Western Cape Girls under-17 Touch Rugby team, which further demonstrates her leadership and versatility across rugby’s different formats and has now earned her a place on the national stage.

She and her teammates of the national team are in Limerick, Ireland, where she will don the green and gold of South Africa as part of the national Girls u/18 team competing in the Atlantic Youth Touch Cup. It’s a dream opportunity for a young player already proving she has what it takes to thrive under pressure.

An exciting and inclusive mixed-gender rugby format, Touch Rugby involves teams of six players and promotes fundamental skills such as running, passing, catching, evasion, and support play. This minimal-contact environment also develops basic attack and defense skills, unlike seven- or 15-man formats.

Rugby excellence runs in the Levy family as her older sister, Insaaf  is also turning heads. A final-year medical student at the University of Cape Town, Insaaf was recently called up to the Springbok Women’s Squad for the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, which took place in Madagascar in June.

Balancing a rigorous academic load with elite-level sport, Insaaf is carving out her own impressive path, setting a powerful example for aspiring young woman athletes across the country.

Much of the sisters’ success can be traced to their father, Labeeb Levy, a respected figure in South African rugby. Labeeb is the head coach of the Western Province Currie Cup team and serves as an assistant coach with the Stormers. Beyond the traditional 15-a-side game, Labeeb has been a passionate advocate for touch rugby, serving as the chairman of Touch Rugby Western Cape. With three decades of involvement in the sport, he is a firm believer in its value.

“Touch rugby is one of the most exciting formats of the game,” says Labeeb. “It’s unique in that it allows men and women to play together on equal footing. It’s a fantastic developmental tool that introduces young players to the fundamentals of rugby in a fast, inclusive way. There are over 800,000 registered touch players globally.

“When World Rugby introduced sevens at the Olympic Games in 2011, countries like New Zealand recruited many of their women’s players from touch rugby programs. That’s how vital it is to the future of the sport,” said Labeeb

With Nuha poised to represent South Africa internationally and Insaaf already earning her Springbok call-up, the Levy family is quickly becoming synonymous with rugby excellence. And with their father guiding the next generation of talent, both on and off the field, their legacy is only just beginning. Who knows, soon the two could be playing for the national team with Nuha at flyhalf while Insaaf could be moving scrums at scrumhalf.