Laura Wolvaardt: From prodigy to mentor and over 100 games as Proteas captain
At 27-years-old Laura Wolvaardt has already captained the Proteas women over 100 times.
Laura Wolvaardt, a former cricketer and captain of the Proteas Women, has led the team in over 100 matches across all formats. Since officially taking on the role in November 2023, the Proteas have participated in the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final and the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup showpiece match. Wolvaardt has also scored 15 centuries in her international career, bringing her total to 8,999 runs, one run short of becoming the first Proteas Women player to reach the 9,000-run mark.
The right-handed batter reflects on her journey as captain, acknowledging that it feels like just yesterday when she first accepted the role. She highlights how captaincy has made her think more about the game, including bowling plans, field settings, and conditions. Despite the additional responsibilities, Wolvaardt maintains her calm and reserved personality, preferring to lead through actions rather than words.
She was recently part of a young Proteas Women squad that won a convincing 5-0 series victory over the Lady Chevrons, with Wolvaardt scoring a South African women’s T20I record 126 not out in the third match. Wolvaardt shares her experience of transitioning from a young player to a senior figure, expressing how rewarding it has been to provide guidance and feedback to emerging talents.
When asked about her legacy, Wolvaardt hopes to be remembered as fair and nice, positively impacting her teammates and helping them play better cricket.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
