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The Nadine Roos promise after Springboks seal World Series return

(Photo by Liam Heagney)

Nadine Roos flew back to Japan this week chuffed that the Springboks are back on the elite World Rugby Sevens circuit for next season – an achievement that was the perfect birthday present for her 78-year-old grandmother. A star of South African women’s rugby, Roos last week told RugbyPass in Cape Town how there was a two-fold reason behind why she wanted to be crowned a 2023 Sevens Challenger Series title champion.

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Victory would secure her country’s automatic promotion to the elite stage of World Rugby Sevens next season, and it would also put a beaming smile on the face of the person she most treasures in his life. The South African star was placed in an orphanage as a toddler only to be rescued by her grandmother, who will now revel in seeing Roos and her team compete against the world’s best next term.

“She will definitely be proud,” enthused Roos, talking to RugbyPass again in Stellenbosch with the shining Challenger Series trophy in her hands after a dramatic second-leg final versus Belgium was won by South Africa with a buzzer-beating try.

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Black Fern Stacey Fluhler on winning gold at the World Sevens Series in Hong Kong

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Black Fern Stacey Fluhler on winning gold at the World Sevens Series in Hong Kong

“We were a bit nervous when you saw the clock ticking off, but there was great composure and calmness from the whole squad on the field and to finish off with a try was special. That was a massive fight from the whole team.

“When you pull this jersey over your head it always comes with a lot of pride and passion and respect for the badge and the ladies showed good character on the field. We were trailing by two points and those are normally situations where you would panic in a game.

“But just from everyone sticking together, having each other’s backs, a few mistakes from all of us on the field and sticking together as a team and just finishing off and using the momentum that came our way in that match, it just showed great character from the team.”

The hard work now starts, however. It was last December when the Springboks took part in the Cape Town leg of the HSBC series and it was a case of defeat after defeat, the tournament starting with a 52-0 pool hammering by Australia and ending with a 15-5 loss to Japan in the 11th place playoff final.

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Now that they have secured a ticket to participate full-time on the elite circuit, Roos believes the potential to thrive exists. “Definitely. Whenever you get your opportunity to play on the world stage like that, we are not only going to participate, we are going there to compete and make a statement on the World Series as well.

“Within our squad, we have enough talent and the abilities to win games on the World Series and really grow each tournament that we get the opportunity in.”

Roos will attract the attention of the opposition after her stellar performances in Stellenbosch. “Even with all the tries I scored over the tournament, it also goes to the rest of the team, forwards dominating in front and giving good quality ball for the back line and that is what we live off when we execute, getting a clean ball like that and we managed to do that.”

It was November when Renfred Dazel took over from Paul Delport, who stepped down as coach after the Rugby World Cup Sevens in September, and the victory in Stellenbosch left him emotional, according to Roos. “The coach didn’t say anything in the huddle. He was a bit emotional, but it was good to finish off with coach Ranfaud by qualifying with him.

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“It just shows how much it means for him as well. He and the whole management have put a lot of hard work in building up to this tournament and just a massive thanks to them for believing in the ladies and believing in the system, the plans that they made to make this possible that is also very special and special to share it with them.”

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fl 45 minutes ago
Jean de Villiers: ‘Next year will be the acid test for this group’

Kolisi, du Toit, and Etzebeth may well make 2027, but if they do they will be a long way past their best. Rassie doesn't seem to have a huge amount of faith in Ruan Venter, or (bizarrely) in Hanekom. Nortjé looks great, but while Moerat and Louw have put in some good performances they look a little way off the standard set by the players they would need to replace. Before the July tests SA fans were telling me that B-J Dixon was a like for like replacement for PSDT, which has since been proven to be nonsense. SA have good depth, but Nortjé is the only new player who has really cemented a spot in the 23, and they urgently need others to step up.


In the backs I think de Allende is more likely to make 2027 than Am, given how much Am's form has dropped off since 2021, but neither of them are going to be at their best. Mngomezulu, Moodie, Fassi, and Willemse will probably all be great in 2027. Arendse, Kolbe, Esterhuizen, & Kriel will all be slightly past their best, but at least a couple of them will still be test quality, so there shouldn't be any issues there. The problems Rassie is going to have will be less about whether they have the personnel available, and more about whether they are able to tactically adapt to life without a world class big crash-ball 12 (Esterhuizen and de Allende might be able to play the role in 2027, but they won't be world class) and without world class zippy poachers on the wing (Kolbe and Arendse might still be playing good rugby in 2027, but its hard to believe they'll be running in the same kind of tries that they are now). Its possible that Tony Brown's attacking system is intended partly to overcome these issues (loose forwards in the wide channels might serve as replacements for de Allende, and quick ruck ball will allow tries to be built over multiple phases instead of relying on moments of genius from Arendse and Kolbe), but there might still be a period of adjustment going in to 2027.


In the front three I think Steenekamp is a great find, and Thomas du Toit has finally emerged as a world class player after years of relative mediocrity, but hooker is still a problem. Grobbelaar looks fine, I guess, but he's not Mbonambi, which is what SA will need him to be by 2027.

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