TUT alumnus and Banyana Banyana Vice Captain Refiloe Jane has earned an overseas move with Australian giants Canberra United Football Club, who are currently participating in the Women’s Pro League. The super talented attacking midfielder has signed a season-long renewable contract and is set to jet out of the country together with Banyana and Mamelodi Sundown’s striker Rhoda Mulaudzi on 29 August.
The 26-year-old represented Banyana at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games and captained South Africa in last year’s Cosafa Cup success. She is currently enrolled for her Masters in Marketing at the Faculty of Management Sciences.
According to a media statement from the club, the team’s head coach, Heather Garriock, said the two have impressed her in their short time in Canberra. “In their short time here in Canberra Fifi and Rhoda have very impressive. It was hard for them to get here, and then to come in to a different environment and play but they have done very well to adapt and really stood out to me,” Garriock said.
She said Fifi’s technical ability in midfield is simply outstanding. “And in Rhoda I can see the pace and aggression that I’m looking for up front.”
Speaking at media briefing yesterday at the Pretoria Campus Refiloe said, she is very excited and grateful for the opportunity at Canberra United and looking forward to the season and making the most of this chance. She said her gratitude goes to the entire TUT community who welcomed her with warm hands and gave her the necessary support when she needed it.
“I will always remain grateful to my Masters Study leader Dr Pamela Serra who has had a great impact in my life especially during tight times she always helped me with my academics.”
Refiloe was regarded as an integral member of the TUT women’s team that won last year’s Varsity Women’s Football competition. Although this year the team will be forced to play the tournament without her coach Tebogo Mokae. But he said he always had a contingency plan for when such a time arrives.
Tebogo said this is both a sad and joyous moment for him, because it is painful to lose such a great player and someone that he had adopted as his own daughter but he is so thrilled to see Refiloe making it to top flight football. “She is a rare talent and a very dedicated and disciplined professional footballer, I have no doubt that she will make us proud.”
Kegoikantse Kgomo Senior Sports Organiser said that as the people’s university, they are proud to develop and produce holistic players such as Refiloe and they are proud of her achievements.
“Creating a platform for athletes to achieve nationally is a huge opportunity but internationally it’s a dream and as TUT Football we are very excited. We wish her all the best and we know she will represent us very well as the true leader that she is,” he said.
By Mokete Radebe
