The Tuks Womens Rugby Sevens side may have lost in the plate-final of the Centrale Sevens in Paris but they got the bragging rights to being captained by the best player of the tournament — Libbie Janse van Rensburg.
At the conclusion of the tournament, Janse van Rensburg (Tuks captain) received the award as the best women’s player.
The second day was again a day of mixed fortunes for the Tuks team. In the semi-finals of the Plate Competition they beat Finland convincingly 33-0, but lost 12-7 in the final against Portugal. There is something of an irony in the score, as it was the second time that Tuks and Portugal faced off during the tournament. In the play-offs they also lost 12-7 to Portugal.
Janse van Rensburg’s talents are not only restricted to side-stepping and tackling opponents on a rugby field. She proved last year what it meant to be a dedicated student.
In spite of being away for nearly three months due to her rugby obligations, she still managed to pass her Sports Science degree cum laude. She achieved this by studying at various airports around the world, on aeroplanes and in hotel rooms while her teammates were sightseeing.
Janse van Rensburg began playing rugby at a young age. She grew up on a farm in Ellisras, where her nephews were always looking for players to strengthen their teams. She had no qualms about joining them.
‘I was quite a keen rugby player up to the age of 13. At the time I thought that rugby should not be a sport that girls should be playing. I then started playing “girly” sports like hockey and netball and I was quite good at it.’
Janse van Rensburg got bitten by the rugby bug again when she started playing ‘touchies’. A definite highlight for her was representing South Africa at a World Cup Tournament in Australia. The team finished fourth overall.
It was Riaan van der Merwe (Seven’s coach) who convinced her to give sevens rugby a go and she is enjoying every minute she plays.
Picture of Janse van Rensburg courtesy of Reg Caldecott