While the Springboks’ victory tour was blazing through Mzansi, Victor Kgomoeswana — marketing and communication head at the University of Limpopo — shared a Rugby World Cup story that veers slightly from the sporting norm.

Kgomoeswana paid tribute to a woman from the small village of Ga-Mphahlele in the Capricorn district of Limpopo — an inspirational Afrikaans-language teacher for generations of primary school learners.

But “Mrs Moroasui” now also has bragging rights as the mother of Katlego Moroasui, who was first officer at the helm of the Emirates-operated Boeing that safely transported the Bok team from Paris Charles de Gaulle to OR Tambo International.

Alongside a collage of images, including a selfie with the mom of the moment, Kgomoeswana wrote: “What does this splendid woman, Mrs Moroasui, have to do with the #RWC2023 #Springboks2023 #rwcchampions2023?

“She is the mother of the pilot who flew in the Webb Ellis Cup and the Springboks. The name of this pilot is Katlego Moroasui.”

He explained that Katlego and his brother, Matsoku Moroasui, hail from his village of birth — “a village so underestimated, one of its Afrikaans names is Zondernaam” (direct translation: “without a name”).

“A few weeks ago, I paid tribute to this phenomenal woman for having shaped me and many of my mates as our Afrikaans teacher at Mashite Primary School. Little did I know that soon after our reunion at her house, she would be welcoming her son as the pilot bringing back the record-breaking victors of the rugby world.

“Take a bow, people of Mashite! The #SpringbokTrophyTour might have skipped your province of Limpopo, but one of your sons made it all possible. Thank you, Captain Katlego Moroasui, for putting our village on the world map.”

Kgomoeswana said Mrs Moroasui was his Grade 7 Afrikaans teacher and, to this day, continues to volunteer her services at the little village school. This life-long labour of love clearly impacted her son’s rise from small-town boy to top-rated pilot.

Katlego gained a national diploma in mechanical engineering from the University of Pretoria, before gaining his airline transport pilot licence from 43 Air School in 2005.

Stints as co-pilot for Solenta Aviation and the SA Red Cross Air Mercy Service were followed by seven years in the cockpit for South African Airways. Since March of 2019, he has served as full-time first officer at Emirates — official partner of the Rugby World Cup 2023.

The final leg of the flight that safely brought the World Cup winners home departed Dubai International Airport on 31 October and arrived in Johannesburg at 10.33 am.

Upon touchdown, the aircraft was greeted with a celebratory water cannon salute. And as the country geared up to welcome back the Boks in centres around South Africa, a special little shindig was held in Ga-Mphahlele to fete a remarkable mother and son for making Limpopo proud.

Pictured above: Victor Kgomoeswana and Mrs Moroasui — mother of pilot Katlego Moroasui, Springbok pilot supreme.

Source: Facebook