South Africa mourns: Springbok Women's rugby icon Lusanda Dumke lost to cancer

Loss feels even harder in December, a time when the air should be light, families come together, and joy is expected.

In the early hours of Tuesday, December 16, South Africa woke to the devastating news of Lusanda Dumke’s passing.

The Blue Bulls Company (BCCo) confirmed that Dumke passed away in East London after a courageous battle with a rare form of gastric cancer.

The South African spirit of sportsmanship, along with the Dumke family, friends, and colleagues, is in mourning. Akuhlanga lungehlanga!

Dumke, a 29-year-old former Springbok Women’s rugby captain, a symbol of resilience and strength, stepped away from rugby in August 2025 to focus on her health. Her illness was identified as an aggressive and rare gastric (stomach) cancer.

Gastric cancer, also known as stomach cancer, develops in the lining of the stomach. According to global cancer health experts, it is often difficult to detect early because symptoms can be vague: ongoing stomach pain, nausea, weight loss, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

By the time it is diagnosed, it is too far gone.

SiCelo SA reports that stomach cancer (also known as gastric cancer, or GC) is not the most common cancer in South Africa, but it is a significant disease. As of 2022, there are about 804 new cases of male cancer and 518 new cases of female cancer per year, ranking it as the 10th most common cancer among males and 14th among females.

Over the course of a lifetime, it affects approximately 1 in 493 South Africans, though precise figures vary by source and population group.

Dumke was born on September 11, 1996, in East London. She rose quickly in rugby, making her provincial debut for the Border Ladies at 18 in 2015. In 2018, she played her first Springbok match against Wales in Cardiff and became a steady, strong presence on the field.

Dumke’s career was a tapestry of milestones. In 2021, she captained the Springbok Women for the first time against Kenya in Stellenbosch. She would go on to lead the team again, including against Australia in 2024.

Dumke represented South Africa at the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, playing against France, Fiji, and England, and earned her final Test cap against Italy at WXV 2 in Cape Town in 2024. She scored 10 tries across 33 Tests, and wore the captain’s armband three times.

Her impact stretched beyond fifteen years of rugby. Dumke was a natural in sevens, representing the Springbok Women’s Sevens team in Cape Town in 2019 and again at the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Cup in Tunisia in 2022, where South Africa defended their continental title.

At home, she captained both Border and the Isuzu Bulls Daisies to provincial success.

Yet statistics feel small in moments like this. Dumke’s versatility, vision, and determination made her a standout player, one who inspired countless young women to dream big in a sport often dominated by men.

The news of her passing has sent shockwaves through the nation, sparking an outpouring of grief on social media. Team members, colleagues, and fans alike shared tributes that highlight Dumke’s immeasurable impact on their lives.

SA Rugby president Mark Alexander encapsulated the nation’s sentiment in his statement, describing her as “a symbol of courage, leadership and resilience far beyond her years”.

He spoke of her humility, her work ethic, and her dignity, especially as she faced illness. Losing someone so young to cancer, he said, is heartbreaking.

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi shared a tribute video on Instagram, captioned simply: “Lusanda Dumke 1997–2025 🕊️”. In the video, the Springbok Women sing an igwijo, a chant rooted in South African tradition, often used to celebrate strength and unity.

The song, “Uzovuma Kamnandi”, loosely translates to “Sing sweetly”. Once a sound of joy, it has now become a farewell haunting, beautiful, deeply South African.

Teammate Yonela Ngxikolo shared a heartbreaking montage on TikTok, showing moments from locker rooms, team buses, and youth-filled laughter.

The background sound repeats the TikTok sound "Charlie, will I ever see you again?" which originates from the final scene of the 1989 animated film "All Dogs Go to Heaven".

"Charlie, will I ever see you again?"

Charlie: "Sure you will, kid. You know goodbyes aren't forever."

The Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture also paid tribute. Minister Gayton McKenzie said, “She carried the hopes of her teammates and the pride of the nation every time she stepped onto the field. Her loss is devastating to rugby and to the country.”

In the comments, everyday South Africans echoed the same disbelief and sorrow: “She was just a baby.” “May her soul rest in peace.”

“Strength to her family.”

Though she has left us too soon, Dumke’s memory will live on through the hearts of those she inspired. Every match that her teammates play will carry a piece of her spirit, reminding the world to dream bigger and fight harder.