Nadine Roos will lead a comparatively inexperienced group at the match – the place they’ve been grouped in Pool A together with Australia, Ireland and Spain – with six gamers in line to make their World Series debuts.
The Blitzboks Women throughout a coaching session. Picture: @WomenBoks/Twitter
CAPE TOWN – She has lit up the enjoying area along with her wonderful kind, silky clean expertise and eye-catching tries, now Nadine Roos will lead the Springbok Women’s Sevens squad for their house match the 2022 HSBC Cape Town Sevens at DHL Stadium this weekend.
Roos is probably the most skilled participant within the group and one in all 4 gamers who performed within the final HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series match within the Mother City in 2019. She will lead a comparatively inexperienced group – the place they’ve been grouped in Pool A together with Australia, Ireland and Spain – with six gamers in line to make their World Series debuts.
All of Kemisetso Baloyi, Jakkie Cilliers, Marlize de Bruin, Felicia Jacobs, Simamkele Namba and Aseza Hele are new to the World Series, though De Bruin and Namba performed within the Rugby World Cup Sevens at the identical venue in September, and Baloyi and Jacobs had been a part of squads that performed at the Commonwealth Games and Qualifier Series tournaments in England and Chile earlier within the yr.
Cilliers and Hele travelled to New Zealand as a part of the Springbok Women’s squad for the Rugby World Cup, however this shall be their first journey into this stage of Sevens rugby, whereas Roos, Rights Mkhari, Liske Lategan and Lusanda Dumke are the only real survivors of the 2019 HSBC Cape Town Sevens squad.
Interim coach, Renfred Dazel, mentioned that it was a straightforward name to hand the captaincy armband to Roos after Mathrin Simmers and Sizophila Solontsi, who shared the captaincy in Dubai final weekend, had been dominated out due to harm.
“Nadine is one of the senior players and she leads by example,” mentioned Dazel.
“She has played enough rugby at this level to stay calm under pressure and is a good motivator as well. I know she will do an excellent job.”
For Dazel, the variety of match newcomers will not be an enormous deal: “We are putting things in place with the eye on the future and that is as important for this team as it is to do well in front of your home supporters.
“There are various tournaments subsequent season, and this match will present our gamers with a superb feeling of the depth required to be within the high tier of the sport.”
Dazel is not too phased about meeting World Series and RWC Sevens champions, Australia, first up.
“Come Friday afternoon, we shall be up towards one of the best group on the planet,” he said. “What an ideal alternative that’s for us as a gaggle. Every participant needs to compete towards one of the best, each coach needs to be examined towards one of the best group and we method that recreation with that perspective.”
The Springbok Women’s Sevens played both Spain and Australia earlier in the year, when they travelled to the France Sevens in Toulouse in May, losing by 50-0 to the Aussies in their opening match before securing a well-deserved 21-19 win over Spain, with Roos scoring 16 of those points.
Roos said the captaincy is special and she is adamant that it will not affect her performances.
“This function comes with stress, however I’m not in that mindset to put stress on myself – but additionally simply be myself, be the particular person I’m, even once they [team] are round,” said Roos.
“I’m somebody who leads by example and I’m nonetheless going to proceed doing that. So, total, feeling excited enjoying once more in entrance of your private home crowd.”
She continued: “To lead them at this event is actually particular to me and I’ll benefit from the second. But in the end, it isn’t about me, we’re all on this collectively and my essential goal shall be to make sure that each one in all us play for the jersey and the team-mate subsequent to you.”
The Springbok Women’s Sevens squad (with World Series stats)
- Rights Mkhari (vice-captain) – 1 match, 4 matches
- Asisipho Plaatjies – 1 match, 5 matches
- Kemisetso Baloyi – on debut
- Jakkie Cilliers – on debut
- Marlize de Bruin – on debut
- Felicia Jacobs – on debut
- Anacadia Minnaar -1 match, 2 matches
- Aseza Hele – on debut
- Nadine Roos (captain) – 5 tournaments, 18 matches, 79 factors (13 tries, 7 conversions)
- Snenhlanhla Shozi – 1 match, 4 matches
- Simamkele Namba – on debut
- Liske Lategan – 2 tournaments, 9 matches, 10 factors (2 tries)
- Lusanda Dumke – 1 match, 3 matches
Pool fixtures:
Friday, 9 December
13h50: Australia
18h37: Ireland
Saturday 10 December
13h25: Spain
Leading Springbok Women’s Sevens factors’ scorers (World Series)
111: Zenay Jordaan
95: Phumeza Gadu
70: Veroeshka Grain
69: Yolanda Meiring
57: Nadine Roos