Champion Across Codes, Shanidine Bezuidenhout secures another Gold

Former Maties netball player and 2022 Varsity Netball champion raised eyebrows when she scored the first try for the Maties Women’s rugby team in their opening match of the 2025 FNB Varsity Cup.

The postgraduate student graduated last year with a postgraduate certificate in education with distinction and decided to switch her sporting focus to rugby in 2024.

While some athletes find it easy to transition between sports, others may face significant physical and psychological challenges. She mentioned that an ACL injury and the desire for a new challenge motivated her to make this change. And it didn’t take long for her to find success on the rugby field.

Shanidine saw the newcomers women’s rugby poster on social media after she had finished her 2024 Varsity Netball season, which Maties unfortunately fell short against NWU Eagles to advance to the semifinals.

After the season ended, she continued with her training in the gym and told herself “let’s give it rugby a try, don’t think too much of it, it’s not that serious.”

She describes the session as fun because they played touch rugby, which she had played in her hometown of Ceres when she was younger. A week later, Maties women’s rugby newly appointed head coach, Aneesah Abrahams made contact, acknowledging that Shanidine plays netball, but asked if she could come back for another session. Initially she felt apprehensive about the request, as she was set to graduate that December and was looking begin her professional career.

When she shared her decision to switch to rugby with her family, her mother was concerned about the physicality of the sport and leaving netball behind. In contrast, her father was supportive and even excited, telling others that his daughter was going to play rugby. “When I told him I was playing rugby, he said, ‘Go for it, see what happens.’

Though her parents had different initial reactions, they ultimately both showed up to support her, proudly holding posters in the stands.

Bezuidenhout describes her opening try as ‘overwhelming’. “Because I never thought in the first two minutes, I would score. That it’s going to happen that fast. I didn’t even think I’m going to score a try at all.”

She showcased her impressive skills, speed, and the dedication required to adapt to a new discipline. She credits her netball training for her hand-eye coordination, which is crucial for handling the rugby ball. “The first challenge I faced was learning to run with the ball, since running with the ball is not allowed in netball,” says Bezuidenhout.

While both sports demand distinct skill sets, strength, and conditioning, once she got the mindset right she transferred those abilities and improved her play.

Shanidine is one of the most successful athletes at Maties Sport to change sporting codes, receiving gold trophies for both her pursuits. After winning gold for Varsity Cup Netball in 2022 and being crowd the FNB Varsity Cup women’s champions in April 2025.

She reflected on that experience as something surreal, noting, “I can’t believe that it’s me. I never imagined I would be the first woman to earn two gold medals in different sports at this university, which has been around for 150 years.”

“I don’t know what the future holds within this rugby environment, but I think it might be good. And having that support from family, from my netball girls, from my management, and especially my twin sister, having them all just being there for me with each and every step. None of this would be possible with God,” emphasizes Bezuidenhout.

Looking ahead to this year, her primary focus will be recovery and preparing for the USSA Winter Games as well as the USSA 7’s Championships hosted by Maties Sport in September.

 

By Jamie Wyngaardt