Former Bok women star and Bulls Daisies skipper Lusanda Dumke dies

As a powerful ball-carrying flank, Lusanda Dumke could knock back any opponent on the rugby field, but she sadly couldn’t beat an aggressive and rare form of gastric cancer.

The Blue Bulls Company confirmed their star captain, who led the club to three consecutive Women’s Premier League titles from 2023–2025, has died. She was only 28.

Beyond her franchise success, Dumke was a stalwart of the national team, earning 33 Test caps for the Springbok Women and captaining the national side on three occasions.

Thando Manana, head of high performance and special projects at the Blue Bulls Company, offered a tribute to the late captain.

“Lusanda was more than a captain; she was the heartbeat of our Daisies team and a true inspiration to everyone at the Bulls and in South African sport. To achieve what she did by the age of 28, leading a team to a three-peat and captaining her country, is simply phenomenal,” he said.

“Her fight against cancer mirrored her toughness on the field; she fought till the end. Her legacy of resilience and success will forever define this era of women’s rugby in South Africa. We have lost a precious, rare gem, and our thoughts are with her family.”

Groundbreaker

Dumke was one of the pioneers of women’s rugby in this country, and although she didn’t make the Springbok Women’s 2025 World Cup squad because of her ill health, she paved the way for a new generation.

Coach Swys de Bruin knew he had lost an outstanding player and leader before the World Cup.

“Lusanda has been pivotal for us, but we now wish her the best as she battles her medical condition,” De Bruin said in August.

“Her absence will have an impact, but at the same time, the players going to the Rugby World Cup will know that playing for your country while you are fit and strong is indeed a privilege.”

Dumke learnt to play the game in the Eastern Cape, and endured unimaginable hardship as a child but character and guile always defined the Cape Town-born player.

She and her four older siblings were raised by a single mother after her father died 10 days before she was born.

Tragedy befell the family again years later when 12-year-old Dumke lost her mother. Following that, she moved to East London to stay with her paternal aunt.

That’s where her love affair with rugby started, having previously also dabbled in netball and athletics.

Not long after that transition, she joined Border after being scouted, and her leadership skills and resilience were already shining through. She was named captain of Border’s under-16 side.

“I don’t know much about the reason for me captaining. But I can tell you that whenever I lead, I want to lead by example. I can’t require players to perform, whereas I don’t perform. That’s what keeps me going and is the secret behind my success [as a leader],” the University of Fort Hare alumnus said in 2022.

Read more: Springbok star Lusanda Dumke played her way to the top with character and guile – and she’s still dreaming big

Dumke, who made her Bok debut in 2018, enjoyed the strides that women’s rugby made during her involvement.

When she started, she wouldn’t have imagined that they’d have their Test games broadcast live on television. Something which is now a reality.

“The growth is massive. But I still feel like there is room for improvement. Especially for provincial teams. Because the girls that play there are just playing for the sake of playing,” Dumke told Daily Maverick.

“If the league can be semi-professional, at least, that can motivate them even more. Because right now there is nothing that motivates them, besides the hunger of playing. Especially because not everyone will make it into the national team. I wish it can be as beneficial as it is in the national team.”

Her dream is quickly becoming a reality.

Earlier this year, the South Africa Rugby Union (Saru) confirmed that it would launch a fully professional women’s league in 2026. Until now, only the Bulls Daisies team were professional.

Dumke and other pioneers have helped grow the women’s game. Perhaps it would be fitting if the new trophy were named after her.

Accolades

Dumke led unfancied Border to two Premier Division titles in 2021 and 2022, beating Western Province in the final both times. She was named the inaugural SA Women’s Player of the Year in early 2022.

That same year she was named as Eastern Cape Sports Star and Sportswoman of the Year.

She then made headlines after asking to forfeit her prize, a VW Polo, in favour of a family home.

“When I won the awards and the car, that [to give up the car in exchange for a house] was the last thing on my mind. My success was still sinking in at that time. It took time for me to make that decision,” Dumke said at the time.

“I remember having conversations with people that are close to me, and saying ‘okay, I’m going to have a car, but my family lives in a shack. How does that make sense?’ So, the best thing to do was to get a house instead.”

At the time, the Dumke family lived in an informal settlement in Mdantsane township where she cared for her bedridden grandmother and partly disabled aunt, who had suffered a stroke in 2016.

With that in mind, the car would have been a priceless addition to the family. However, according to Dumke, she had to prioritise better lodgings for herself and her loved ones.

“The decision was not an easy one. Because I feel like we still need a car in the family. But the thing that we need the most at the moment is a house.”

Bok journey

Born on 11 September 1996, Dumke made her provincial debut for the Border Ladies in 2015 as an 18-year-old. Her Test debut followed three years later, in 2018 against Wales in Cardiff.

She became a regular fixture in the Bok team and captained the side for the first time in 2021, against Kenya in a two-Test series in Stellenbosch. She also captained the side against Australia in 2024.

In 2022, Dumke was a member of the Springbok Women squad that participated in the Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, where she played in all three pool matches – France, Fiji and England. Her last Test was against Italy in the WXV2 competition in Cape Town in 2024. She scored 10 tries in her Test career.

Dumke’s skills and vision made her a natural fit for sevens rugby, and she represented the Springbok Women’s Sevens team in Cape Town in 2019.

In 2022, she also played in the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Cup in Tunisia, where South Africa defended their continental title, as well as the Cape Town event.

“Lusanda will be remembered not only as a former captain of our Springbok Women's team, but also as a symbol of courage, leadership and resilience far beyond her years,” Saru president Mark Alexander said.

“She played the game with heart and humility, always giving everything she had for her team. Her work ethic, toughness and selfless commitment set the standard, and she led by example every time she stepped onto the field.

“Even in the face of immense personal challenge, she carried herself with dignity and strength, inspiring those around her on and off the field. Her legacy lives on in the lives she touched, the example she set, and the pride with which she represented her team and country,” Alexander said.

“On behalf of SA Rugby, we extend our deepest condolences to the Dumke family, loved ones, friends, and teammates, on the sad passing of Lusanda.

“Losing someone so young to cancer is heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with all who loved and supported her through her journey. May you find strength, comfort, and peace during this difficult time.”

Funeral arrangements will be made public by the family in due course. DM