Captain, Fadz Abelz, leads South Africa’s first women’s team into the Ladies Open of the 2026 ITF Tag World Cup, which will be held at the Coffs International Stadium in Coffs Harbour, Australia, from the 15th to 18th of October.
Fadz, also known by what she calls her government name of Fadia Abels, is on a mission to raise awareness for tag rugby, which remains relatively unknown in rugby-mad South Africa, despite this being her second history-making tag rugby world cup representing SA.
“In 2023, we made history as well by being the first mixed (female and male) South African tag rugby team to represent SA in a World Cup, which was held in Ireland, and we finished fifth, winning a shield in the play-off for fifth place, out of 17 nations. Not bad for our first attempt,” says Fadz
The name Fadia is a feminine Arabic name that means "savior," "redeemer," or "one who sacrifices herself for others. Fadz says when she found out the meaning of her name, she realized that she was doing exactly what she was meant to be doing.
Born and raised in the socio-economically dysfunctional Coloured suburb of Rusthof, Strand, Fadz’s upbringing was a familiar refrain of having to survive the ongoing consequences of the legacy of apartheid. Substance abuse, gangsterism, violence, poverty, lack of facilities etc, were ever present during her formative years and in many ways helped shape the woman she has become today.
“My life has not been without the same challenges people from our communities are faced with, but I made a decision early on, that I would use the negativity around me to motivate me to overcome all obstacles and to set an example to inspire others.”
To say that Fadz has already over-achieved in that mission would not be an understatement and yet, she is only 34-years-old.
At the age of 12, she gave up her pocket money so that she could take up swimming at the Strand municipal swimming pool, which she had to walk to and from Rusthof. A year later she qualified for nationals. Today she still holds the national record for the backstroke in the Masters age group (30-34) for the 50m race, of 33.01 seconds.
Her other achievements, in no particular order, will leave you breathless. She achieved provincial colours in biathlon (swimming and running); she also competed in triathlon (swimming, running and cycling); became the first woman to qualify for the pro-division of beach touch rugby in 2019, and there has not been another woman to do so in the male dominated sport since; she’s represented Boland and Western Cape in the 6-Down format of touch rugby, before making historic steps into tag rugby as indicated above.
Tag Rugby is a fast-paced, minimal-contact team game where players wear shorts or belts with Velcro-attached tags that simulate tackles.
Fadz says awareness of tag rugby is on the rise. “In 2023 SARU awarded national colours for tag rugby, although we still have to fund our own tournament participation. Starting this year SARU also made it compulsory for tag rugby to be played at school level for 7 and 8-year-olds, which I think is a good thing from a safety point of view and to create awareness.”
She says her motivation is rooted in her community. “I started a touch rugby initiative in the community in 2016 as an alternative option for our kids to being idle and succumbing to substance abuse and delinquency. I had a strict approach and many kids did not stay the course. However, there were those who succeeded and the following year there was enough interest to form two teams.”
“I realized quickly that I would not be able to make a difference in every child’s life, but if I impacted the life of one child positively, it was a massive deal to that child. One particular boy had to repeat grade 11, and he eventually went on to pass matric. At the same time, he was benefitting from the discipline and focus of playing and training for tag rugby. When he passed matric, I was the first person he called to share his achievement with,” says Fadz.
Fadz manages her own sports academy and has an accredited qualification in advanced sports coaching science. She coaches children at a private and a public school as well as members of the community who show interest. She also has a significant social media following and community credibility. “We rely on our community for support and I am pleased to say that it does make a difference when we are engaging in fund-raising activities. People give what they can afford and it helps. In February I sold 200 hamburgers, for example, to raise funds for the upcoming trip to Australia.
Her work-life is balanced with her partner and Maui, an adorable Chow Chow who knows just how to wrap her around his paw.
For more information on tag rugby, follow Fadz Abelz on social media or contact SA Tag Rugby online or at (+27) 076 051 7644 and via email at online@taggroup.co.za
