Springbok Women’s star: “We are not done yet”

The raw emotions that spilled across television screens worldwide told the story better than any scoreboard could. When the final whistle blew on South Africa’s historic Women’s Rugby World Cup victory over Italy in York on Sunday, Springbok Women’s flyhalf Libbie Janse van Rensburg embraced longtime captain Nolusindiso Booi with tears of joy, declaring: “We did this, we did this.”

Two days later, those emotions of relief, gratitude, pride and determination still linger around the team camp. But Janse van Rensburg, who claimed Player of the Match honors in the groundbreaking win, has her sights set firmly on bigger prizes.

“Yes, we are still feeling very good about ourselves, but suddenly there is that added feeling of us going ever further,” said a determined Janse van Rensburg as the team completed post-match reviews following their return from York on Monday.

Breaking new ground

The victory over Italy marked several historic firsts for South African women’s rugby: qualification for the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals, their first win over Italy, and a breakthrough into the world’s top-ten rankings.

Now the Springbok Women prepare for their final Pool D clash against France this Sunday at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton, with both teams already qualified for the playoffs following victories over Brazil and Italy respectively. The match will determine pool honors.

“We desperately wanted to make it into the top eight and now that we have, we want more,” Janse van Rensburg declared. “That game against Italy, as important as it was, was not our final act. We want more, and we are not done yet.”

Building confidence

The team’s confidence stems partly from earlier encounters with France during their European tour this season, which Janse van Rensburg described as an eye-opener.

“We realised we were not far off during that session, and it’s amazing how things changed around so suddenly for us,” she reflected. “We were always knocking, and now the door has been opened. The talk in the camp is that we can now get past the last eight and into the semi-finals, and I honestly don’t think it is a pipe dream.”

From struggle to success

Janse van Rensburg’s Player of the Match performance came as a surprise even to herself, particularly after fatigue began setting in during the second half.

“Our team doctor and physio on the side of the field were encouraging me all the time, telling me to stay in the game as I am doing well,” said the playmaker. “I was getting really tired at that time but kept going, and I am so happy that I did. So many players worked so hard to get to this point and we were the fortunate ones to be on the field when history happened.”

The current success stands in stark contrast to South Africa’s previous World Cup campaign. Janse van Rensburg attributes the turnaround to several key factors.

“We had a poor World Cup last time, but that team was too inexperienced and the environment was not great,” she explained. “This time we all know what we can do, we believe in each other and our coaches and management really created a positive environment for us. The players also get along well, and it all delivers a happy camp.”

Growing support

The team has also benefited from increased backing from sponsors and the public, something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the players.

“The support from sponsors and the public alike has been amazing. We really feel like we belong, and we now want to reward those who invested in us,” Janse van Rensburg said.

The Springbok Women team to play France will be named on Friday. Sunday’s match will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

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