Photo Credit: Lions Cricket
Wanderers Sports Medical Centre physiotherapist Sheenagh Jordaan called up for the SA u19 tour to Bangladesh.
Lions Cricket warmly congratulates Sheenagh Jordaan for her call up as team physiotherapist for the SA U19 tour to Bangladesh. Having represented many teams in various sports, Sheenagh has self-published two poetry books, and when she’s not on the boundary ropes, you’ll find her lifting weights, running, reading, writing or spending quality time with her loved ones.
It all began in 2010, when the Central Gauteng Lions (CGL) employed Craig Govender as the country’s first professional cricket physiotherapist. Two years later Cricket South Africa (CSA) followed suit and used the same model to promote teams having physiotherapists in all men’s professional teams. Two years thereafter and each men’s team had strength and conditioning coaches.
“The Central Gauteng Lions franchise has been leaders within Cricket South Africa in various departments, but they are undoubtedly the front runners and leaders in sports medicine and science within CSA,” says Wanderers Sports Medical Centre Head, Craig Govender.
“In 2021, Jono-Leaf Wright believed in my vision of creating a professional sports medicine and science team for the CGL Ladies Team and the pipeline. In 2022, the budget was created and for the first time in ladies cricket in South Africa, there was a dedicated physiotherapist in Sheenagh Jordaan; a strength and conditioning coach/ biokineticist in Inge Konig and a sports physician in Dr Dhavina Naidoo. The culture within the sport medicine and science team at the CGL is to create excellence through cohesion and to build the women’s game to the level of the professional men’s team. The Union pioneered the sports medicine and science department in the men’s game and have now done the same in the women’s game – and it is quite exceptional.”
Her first international tour as team physiotherapist, Sheenagh has had a year of many firsts. Working alongside the Wanderers Sports Medical Centre she pioneered the role of team physiotherapist in the women’s domestic cricket space, servicing DP World Lions Women in the recent 2022/23 season. Previously, Sheenagh was team physiotherapist to the U19 Women’s Proteas at the inaugural U19 T20 Women’s World Cup.
DP World Lions Ladies head coach Shaun Pretorius says that Sheenagh performs her duties with absolute professionalism and has played a large part in stepping up the standard in the ladies game;
“She is a much-valued member of our Pride, working whenever we need her, addressing the ladies aches, pains and rehab requirements. She has helped the performing players play better and the injured recover timeously and correctly – all of which will lead to prolonged careers and enhanced performances. I believe that our CSA Women’s Provincial T20 Cup win is testament to our elite backend staff and their ability to create a winning team environment – and I thank Sheenagh’s role in that and wish her all the best for her tour.”
Lions Cricket CEO Jono Leaf-Wright smiles at Sheenagh’s success;
“She represents all the good work that Team Lions is doing for the valued women in our Pride. She deserves this call up through and through and I’ve no doubt that her climb continues to inspire all our ladies to be more, achieve more and ROAR with pride in all that they do. Enjoy your tour Sheenagh, your Lioness’ eagerly await your return!”
Lions Cricket as well as the Wanderers Sports Medical Centre would like to wish Sheenagh all the very best for her upcoming adventures, and have no doubt that she’ll represent the Pride with the high standard of professionalism and unwavering passion that we’ve become accustomed to.
