In 2017, as the Western Cape battled its worst drought, most club rugby shut down. Yet UCT’s Green Mile — sustained by the UCT Dam — remained playable. To keep the game alive, the UCT Rugby Executive launched an IPL-inspired internal league with player auctions, bold team identities, and creative rules. When Sikhumbuzo’s name appeared in the auction, no one realised she was female until she pitched up at training and confidently announced that she was a tighthead prop. That moment inspired the club director to take a bold step: to formally launch UCT Women’s Rugby.

So began the journey of the Ikey Swifts, later renamed the Tigresses. Within weeks, around 30 women were training almost daily, learning everything from passing and tackling to scrums and lineouts. Most had never touched a rugby ball before — yet their enthusiasm was unstoppable. When drought restrictions finally lifted, the Swifts hosted their first tri-series on the Green Mile against Maties and UWC — both with long-established women’s programmes. Against all expectations, UCT won their debut fixture, quickly gaining a reputation for being “too rough and competitive.”

The season ended with a Heritage Day Braai celebrating UCT’s transformation into a fully gender-inclusive rugby club.