The Tuks women’s rugby sevens team are in for a tough challenge from Wednesday when they compete in two international tournaments in France.
The first is the Centrale Tournament in Paris, followed by the Stanislas Sevens Tournament next week.
Tuks start their campaign playing against Portugal, who are ranked 15th in the world. They will also play against Belgium, who are ranked 21st. The South Africa’s women’s team are ranked 13th.
Nadine Roos, who is considered one of the real talents in international women’s rugby, is the most experienced player in the Tuks team. In the recent Hong Kong Sevens Tournament she scored six tries for South Africa. At the same tournament last year she scored eight tries.
The Tuks player also put up a sterling performance last year in Rome in the Sevens Cup Final against Kenya, scoring two tries and converting five tries for a tally of 20 points.
When Roos starts talking rugby it is obvious that she is passionate about the game, especially playing for the Springboks. ‘There’s something about wearing the Springbok emblem on my chest. It makes you want to play to the best of your ability.’
Roos has not forgotten where it all started for her. ‘It was at Tuks that I first got the opportunity to play rugby and I will never forget that. It’s an honour to represent the Delta Drone Tuks Team in France. I hope to guide some of the less experienced players during our games. We’re going to battle to beat the national teams, but I can assure everybody we are up to the challenge,’ said Roos who is a third-year economic sciences student.
The average South African sports fan still battles with the concept of women playing rugby, the argument often being that it’s not a sport for women as it is too rough, but Roos does not agree.
‘For me, rugby is a sport, just like any other. There is always a risk of injury, no matter what you do. I was lucky to grow up on a farm outside Polokwane where I often played rugby with the boys. I gave my best in those games. Yes at times I did get injured, but that is part of the game. I got to admit I was always somewhat of a tomboy.’
Lizahn Venter, a final-year student in veterinary science, said she suffered her worst injuries on the hockey field, breaking and tearing ankle ligaments on no less than four occasions. She even lost some of her front teeth during a hockey game.
‘Touch wood, so far I have not suffered any serious injury playing rugby.’
Venter admits to loving the physicality of rugby. ‘There is nothing I enjoy more than pulling off a well-executed tackle during the game,’ said Venter, who grew up watching rugby with her dad Marius.
In the picture (from left to right): Riaan van der Merwe (coach), Kemi Baloyi, Tyler Botha, Lizahn Venter, Thandeka Shongwe, Sumari Brand, Libbie Janse van Rensburg (captain), Cindy Roberts, Dudu Mahlangu, Xandrea Breitenbach, Lorinda Brown, Caylyn Greyling, Nadine Roos, Konrad Lotter (assistant coach). Picture courtesy of Zander Erasmus