Rugby
Springbok Multi-Code Star Nadine Roos on Juggling 15s and 7s, Commonwealth Games Blow, and World Cup Ambitions
Springbok star Nadine Roos shares insights on balancing 15s and 7s rugby, her reaction to the Commonwealth Games' removal of sevens, and South Africa's Rugby World Cup ambitions. Rugby betting fans will be excited to see how her performances affect the Springboks' chances in the upcoming Africa Women's 7s tournament.
Image Credits: Johan Rynners - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images
Springbok Women's Rugby multi-code player Nadine Roos has had to juggle her time with the 15s and 7s side concurrently.
She has just returned from the WXV campaign with the 15s and is now preparing for the Africa Women's 7s tournament which will be held in Ghana.
7s rugby code removed from Commonwealth Games
Earlier this month, the Commonwealth Games Federation [CGF] axed ten sports ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2026. Sevens was one of 10 sports axed from the Games.
"When I saw the news and saw Maddie [Levi] in the picture...does this have something to do with Australia? When I actually read the article I saw they are removing the sevens from the Commonwealth Games. It is quite sad, sevens brings in so much entertainment for spectators,” Roos told SportsBoom.com.
“To remove sevens from another big event, which is smaller than the Olympics where the Olympics had sold out [stadium] with the women and the men competition and to see that statement from them [CGF] which came as a surprise.”
“I would really like to know why but I saw there are few other sports as well that are kicked out of the Commonwealth Games. It is quite sad and I am gutted to see sevens removed from the Commonwealth Games.”
World Rugby Challenger Series Prep
South Africa unfortunately were relegated from the previous SVNS series after finishing a disappointing 11th.
They will now have to compete at the Africa Women's Sevens in Ghana early next month. The top three teams at the tournament will qualify for the World Rugby Challenger Series. They will face Tunisia, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso in Pool A.
"We are busy preparing in Stellenbosch and it is hot here. We are still going through preseason but we have been working hard in camp. Last week was quite an intense week and focusing a lot on system plays. There are also some new players coming in and a few players out with injury and rehab from the SVNS circuit.”
“There are some players who played in the Olympics who are not in camp, so that is the challenge we currently have. We don't have the experience of those players in camp but it's an opportunity for the new players coming in.”
“Like I said, it is hot in Stellies [Stellenbosch] and going well in terms of preparation but also intense with the hectic schedule. We expect nothing less from sevens, you work and grind hard and the hours at the end of the day will get you the results."
We are currently in a three week block, there are two weeks left and the third week is basically tournament week. We have two weeks to align with the system and what we are trying to do on defence and attack
Nadine Roos
Departure of Springbok Women High Performance Manager
Lynn Cantwell who played for Ireland, joined SA Rugby in February 2021 as a High Performance Manager for Women's Rugby. She will however still continue her role as a consultant to the Springbok Women in the build-up of the Rugby World Cup next year.
"Working with Lynn was good and I know it's difficult for overseas people coming into a South African system because of the culture and how South Africans do things. From the development side of Women's Rugby in South Africa, she had a massive impact and played a big role in improving Women's Rugby in the country.”
“She brought in the knowledge and positivity in the SA Rugby environment. I think the development aspect in the Women's game is important, when players reach the national side there is no time for development and you need to be on the standard of an international rugby player."
"At the end of the day, the only way your national team will grow is when your foundation development [academy/provincial rugby] is really good. She will be a big loss for us but we will always remember the knowledge she passed on to us. She will still be with us in the build-up to the World Cup."
Reaction to Rugby World Cup Draw
South Africa are in Group C with France, Italy and Brazil. Roos believes the team has the potential to reach the playoffs for the first time.
"The draw was after the WXV campaign but I definitely feel there is a sense of belief we can get into the playoffs. The draw and the schedule is a bit of a relief because now you know when you will play and the opponents. It will give us time to prepare as a squad for the three pool games."
"When I saw that France, Italy and Brazil are in our pool, I immediately thought back to our last game against Italy [WXV2]. The game was actually ours but they just capitalised from our mistakes. That [vs Italy] is going to be a massive game at the World Cup and the growth the team has shown over the past few weeks is incredible.”
“Brazil is a team that is inconsistent in performance so you will never know what you will get from them which makes them an underdog team. If I am not mistaken we are playing Brazil first and it will be their first time at the World Cup, the nerves will definitely be there for them.”
That game will set the foundation for the rest of the tournament for us. Then you get France, we played them in the previous World Cup and a Test Match against them back in 2021."
"If I take a look at the other pools, this time around we are not in that pool of death. In the previous World Cup, we had quite a tough pool to get into a quarterfinal. The other pools in terms of rankings are so compact.”
“It's literally the small margins that will ensure your place in the play-off. We know what to expect from France and Italy, Brazil will be new to us."
Nathan has over a decade of knowledge and experience, both as a former professional sportsperson and journalist. Nathan, a former radio sports presenter and producer is an award-winning community radio sports producer/presenter.