Player profile: Reabetswe Phume (St Stithians College)
Fresh from captaining the Central Samurais to a 3-1 win over the Griffins in the Johannesburg Hockey League (JHL) final, meet the trailblazing high school hockey star, Reabetswe Phume, from St Stithians Girls College.
Phume, who is in grade 12, has dominated at the high school level and has already represented the South African Hockey 5s team in senior competition.
She began playing hockey six years ago out of curiosity, when she was in grade six at Brescia House School. Little did she know how much that decision would impact her life. Once she got a stick in her hands, she found a purpose and she chased greatness with unwavering determination.
“I wasn’t competitively playing the sport. It was more socially, until I gradually started to fall in love with it and came to the realisation that I wanted to play it seriously,” she told SuperSport Schools Plus.
The 17-year-old has transformed from being a social player into one who has designs on playing hockey professionally.
“I chose hockey because, funnily enough, I never knew what the sport was. I saw a bunch of students playing it and they were holding hockey sticks, but I never really understood the game or the excitement around it. That is until I signed up socially just to play for fun, and that was when I understood the hype around it because the sport opened up my competitive side and I always wanted to be challenged.
“That’s what hockey was about – many challenges – and hockey is one of the sports that challenges you mentally and physically as a player, and it gets you out of your comfort zone.
“I later developed a huge passion for the sport and realised that this is what I wanted to continue to do and to take it further through the years,” she revealed.
Phume very quickly made massive strides to improve her game and it blossomed at St Stithians College, which she lauded for the support she has received on and off the field. In 2022, she made her junior international debut when she represented South Africa in Hockey 5s.
In the winter holidays, she achieved another memorable milestone when she led the Southern Gauteng A team to the u18 SASHOC National Week title in Bloemfontein.
In a tension-filled final, Phume and her teammates edged out Northern Gauteng A 4-3 from the penalty spot after they had finished regulation time level at 2-2.
Southerns shone throughout the tournament, scoring 19 goals and keeping a clean sheet in every match until the final.
After the tournament, she was chosen as the Player of the Tournament and selected for the SA U18 A squad.
Another highlight followed shortly after in July when, with her club team, Crusaders, which is based at St Stithians, she won the Belgotex Elite Club Challenge, hosted at the Riverside Hockey Club in Durban.
Phume’s electric year began in January with a call-up to the South African Team for the inaugural Women’s Hockey 5s World Cup in Oman. There were 16 teams in action and the South Africans did their country proud by finishing in fourth place overall.
SA topped their pool, ahead of Ukraine, Australia, and Zambia, which secured them a place in the quarterfinals against Malaysia. South Africa won that match 6-4, which put them into the semi-finals against India. The Indians took a 6-3 win there to advance to the final. South Africa, meanwhile, played Poland for third and went down 2-4.
It was, nonetheless, a hugely successful tournament for South Africa, and for Phume personally. Toni Marks led the goal-scoring for the team, with 11 goals. Dirkie Chamberlain netted eight times, and Phume was South Africa’s third-highest scorer, with five goals.
In a short space of time, she has represented her school, her province, and the country at the top level, and playing in different teams with different individuals stands out to Phume as something special.
“My special moments on the field will be playing alongside different people and different players and learning from every single one of them how I can better and improve my skill set and my abilities on the field,” she said.
“I think, also, of the special moments that you make, whether it be winning tournaments, scoring goals, or the little special celebrations in the game, which always drives me to want to do better, not just for myself but for the badge that I wear.
“The most important special moments on the field for me would be when I am having fun, and when I have fun I normally play at my best, where I can showcase my talents and my abilities and what I bring to the game, where I can create a lot of special and memorable moments,” she added
Phume revealed that she draws inspiration from the legendary tennis player Serena Williams. “I love tennis because it is a sport that challenges your individuality as a person and as a player,” she explained. “I used to play it, so I understand the level of commitment, time, and effort that tennis requires to become the best.
“I love tennis because of my idol and role model, Serena Williams, who is responsible and famous for revolutionizing women in sport and has won many titles in her career despite her being a woman of colour and facing many challenges on the sporting field.”
With her career having reached great heights already, it’s not a stretch to imagine Phume starring at the highest level of hockey and she’s committed to giving it her best shot.
“I plan on playing hockey for quite some further along in my future and my career. Alongside my studies, I would love to play hockey competitively and professionally and travel around the globe where I will have many opportunities to learn and grow in the sport,” she said.
As her school career draws towards its conclusion, she spoke glowingly about the impact her coaches and teammates have had on her. “All of my teammates and coaches that I have played alongside and been coached by have been different. However, they all have been amazing and very supportive of me and my career,” she said.
“Whether it was in school, nationally, provincially, or even club, I have been surrounded by a lot of great talent and experience, and I have been able to apply myself in many ways and learn a lot in the hockey and sporting community through my coaches, as well as my teammates.”
