It was a hit that upended the game’s fundamentals. not just rugby for women. not just rugby in South Africa. However, the complete galaxy that orbits the oval ball. Honestly, if you haven’t seen it already, it’s worth looking into.
Chloe Rollie, a fullback for Scotland, picks up an off-load from an inside channel while galloping after running an excellent support line in her own half. She steps a defender while cutting off her right foot. She scurries back into play and circles another. Up the field, she is shouting. She is unstoppable.
Libbie Janse van Rensberg, the record-holder for points scored by a South African fly-half, dips her shoulder as she casts a leftward peek in search of a teammate. Rollie is unaware of what is in store for her. And while Janse van Rensberg completely destroys her, time appears to stand still.
Louis Koen, the interim coach for South Africa and a 15-time member of the men’s Springboks, expressed his joy for Libbie: “I was so happy for Libbie.” Louis Koen is currently the high performance manager for SA Rugby. She works so hard. Therefore, it has been incredible for her to receive the attention she has.
One video of the hit has been viewed over 270,000 times on one account on X. Another has around 30,000 impressions. In Paris last week, even as the men’s side were gearing up for a showdown against the hosts France in a World Cup quarterfinal, Janse van Rensburg’s expertly placed right shoulder got sufficient airtime in the bistros and fan parks where South Africans gathered.
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What can draw attention is amusing, Koen continues. “We don’t fool ourselves into thinking that women’s rugby is a minor sport in this nation. That is odd considering how popular men’s sports are. So it’s critical that we seize every opportunity to draw attention and draw eyes our way.
“We want to raise awareness of women’s rugby, and Libbie does a great job of supporting our squad on social media. The guys were all posting the replays and chatting about it, but I don’t use social media much so I’m not as aware of that.
“She offers prizes to her followers on Instagram. She works really hard to promote our sport. I was thus ecstatic for her. She plays the game quite well. She is incredibly elegant when she has the ball in her hands, and as you can see, she has been practicing her defense.
“Winning will help us spread the word about our cause, but we can’t disregard such times. Hopefully we can generate more of them.
Koen ponders the word “wins” for a while. His tone changes when pressed for further detail about his opinions.
He continues, “Look, we’re realistic. “We are aware that we are not at a place where we can compete with the best teams in the world. However, playing against teams that are better than us is the only way we can improve.
However, this implies that we will lose more games than we win. Rugby supporters are rugby supporters everywhere, including South Africa. They are invested in the success of their team and risk losing interest if they don’t.
“I’m pleading with South African fans to have patience since this endeavor will take time. This will take time, as Lynne Cantwell [the former Ireland international who was named the women’s high performance manager for South Africa in 2021] has emphasized. Prior to getting better, things could get worse in terms of the outcomes.
By a score of 31–17, Scotland defeated South Africa. They are in the second division of the WXV tournament, which they are also hosting, and currently hold the 13th place in the world according to World Rugby’s measurements. They’ve been matched with Italy, the US, Samoa, and Scotland in addition to each of those nations. The other teams are all ranked higher than everyone else but the Pacific Islanders.
Koen is hopeful that his team will be able to deliver a few blows of their own, though. The Bulls Daisies, the only completely professional women’s club in South Africa, have added players to the squad. The Bulls Daisies won the Women’s Premier Division with a perfect record, winning 12 of their first 15 league games on route to a 69-8 victory.
WXV 1 started began with a fierce match between England and Australia, in which the Red Roses, ranked number one in the world, took control almost right away and defeated the Wallaroos by a score of 42 to 7. The Red Roses sent a challenge to the remainder of the competition despite being without a number of notable players and in the presence of incoming head coach John Mitchell. The major conflicts and England’s justifications for victory are listed here.
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Koen refers to a team that has provided his 30-man squad 11 players, saying that they “showed what is possible when the players are given proper support.” Hard work helps talent develop; talent is the raw material. However, it requires a support system in place. Hopefully
Koen attributes his optimism to the intense training, rest and recovery, and emphasis on finer skills that have been nurtured at the Daisie’s training facility. He discusses how this has had a beneficial effect on the squad as a whole and how he has been able to focus on parts of the game that will assist close the gap between the Springboks and the teams above them.
Without a strong scrum, line-out, and maul, he asserts, it is impossible to succeed at the highest level. “And you can’t cultivate those without the right instruction. Before the guys arrived to camp, they essentially had to start over. Now that they have this foundation to build upon, there are a good number of them.
Observe England. They are the best team in the world because of their incredible set piece. The men’s game follows the same rules. The [men’s] Boks have had a fantastic set piece for years. That is what we are trying to accomplish. We’ve stated that we intend to participate in the upcoming World Cup in England in 2025. I don’t guarantee that we will prevail. However, we’re going to contend.
There’s a chance Koen won’t be there. After this weekend’s game against Italy, his brief stay with the team comes to an end, though he intends to stay.
Coaching this side has truly been a dream come true for him, he exclaims. “I simply adored it. I’m absolutely devoted to this endeavor. We have only just started.
