Women fight for sporting chance as fans increase

Professional golfer Stacy Bregman, Banyana Banyana-capped footballer Erin Herz, and 2024 Touch Rugby World Cup bronze medallist Hayley Landau have overcome various challenges to excel in what were traditionally male-dominated sports.

Trying to find sponsors to help her play in tournaments overseas is a challenge for Bregman, who has been playing in Europe for the past three and a half months, having started her season with the Sunshine Ladies Tour in South Africa.

“Sometimes, you’re not having your best season and you don’t know when your next paycheck is coming because the earnings are dependent on how you play,” says Bregman, a professional golfer since 2006. “You go through a little bit of a dry spell, which can be quite daunting.”

These challenges can be harder for women golfers. “Money-wise, the pay gap between men and women is quite big and the prize money is different,” Bregman says. “So, we feel this difference more sometimes. We need to play more consistently.”

But she says women’s golf has gone from strength to strength during her time in the sport. “There are now more sponsors. Bigger banks and bigger companies are getting involved. The Sunshine Tour in South Africa is growing.” She notes a substantial difference in the prize purse compared with 10 years ago. “Even with the LPGA [Ladies Professional Golf Association] in Europe and Asia, prize funds are starting to increase. People are getting excited about the women’s game.”

Bregman says women previously didn’t get as much coverage as men, but that’s  changing.  She enjoyed the huge coverage the women’s game got in the just-completed Olympic Games. “The whole week was dedicated to the women playing.”

Herz, who plays football for TS Galaxy Queens in the Hollywoodbets Super League, the topflight of women’s football in South Africa, says grit, determination, and a burning desire to be better every chance she gets have played a role in her rise to the top of the game.

Her main challenge has been “lack of investment and general concern for women’s football. We’re not taken nearly as seriously as we deserve to be considering the talent we produce. Once again, determination gets me through because I have to believe better days are coming. I also do extra work on the side to deal with the lack of investment and keep myself afloat.”

Landau scored five tries, including a hat trick against Singapore, as the over-35 Springbok team took bronze at the recently concluded Touch Rugby World Cup in Nottingham, England.

Having suffered a hamstring tear leading up to the 2019 World Cup, Landau was happy to get through this year’s showpiece injury-free. “I was probably the fittest I’ve ever been,” she says.

Not only does Landau often come up against younger opponents, sometimes she takes to the field as one of three women alongside three men in mixed matches. Having training games against men’s teams “helps us to read the play at a faster pace”, says Landau, a touch rugby player since 1997.

“The other challenge, from a woman’s point of view, is that the majority of our team have had children. If you’ve had babies, sometimes your ligaments have stretched, maybe you’re not as flexible, and your body isn’t as strong as, say, a younger woman who hasn’t had children, so you’ve got to work with your fitness, strength, and conditioning.”

Herz is in the process of returning from a long-term injury, which has been tough mentally for her, though she says, “I’ve recovered physically, and am eager to get better and better.”

Herz says women’s soccer has grown immensely during her time in the sport. “Starting at grassroots level, there are so many more youth tournaments and trials for youngsters to showcase their abilities and put their names on the map. This then builds up our impressive national team, which once struggled to qualify for the World Cup and is now moving through the group stages and challenging big-name countries. It’s so exciting to be a part of it.”

“I absolutely love what I do,” Bregman says, discussing the secret for her longevity as a golfer. “The people who have supported me – my family, friends, and sponsors – have also kept me going.”

Bregman advises young South African sportswomen to be determined, dedicated, and resilient. “If this is the career that you want, you’re going to experience some ups and downs. If you think that you’re good enough, keep grinding, and just keep believing.”

She says this season has been decent for her. “I feel like I’m playing better than my results, but there’s something good happening. My game just needs to kick a little bit and find a formal shine.”

Bregman, who has aspirations to play in the Olympics, says juggling golf with family commitments can be hard. “I’m fortunate to have a family that supports me and understands. When certain competitions come up and overlap with certain things, like a 50th celebration or a friend’s wedding, they are pretty lenient with me.”