VOTE! Who is your SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year?
SPOTLIGHT: The last 12 months have been about growing the women’s game and making space for female athletes to thrive.
Therefore, the SA Women’s Player of the Year award is of utmost importance.
In the second part of Rugby365’s SA Rugby awards instalment, we give readers the chance to vote for their Women’s Player of the Year for 2024.
Aseza Hele, Libbie Janse van Rensburg, Chumisa Qawe, Nadine Roos and Vainah Ubisi have been nominated for the award.
All five players played key roles in helping the Springbok Women win the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and qualify for the World Cup 2025 in England.
Hele, Janse van Rensburg and Roos were all previous winners of the award.
The ceremony will take place on Thursday in Cape Town.
While it is difficult to select the ultimate winner, only one can walk away with the title.
So please vote for your favourite in the comment section below…
See below for more about the SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year nominees:
Aseza Hele
Affectionally known as ‘Blommie’ because of her bright smile, the 30-year-old is currently the captain of the Boland Dames.
Hele, who plays No.8, joined Harlequins (England Premiership club) in 2023 before returning to Boland.
The forward was part of the Springbok WXV 2 side that had impressive performances against Australia and Italy and recorded a win over Japan.
Libbie Janse van Rensburg
The 30-year-old fullback is plying her trade at the Bulls Daisies.
She was named the 2023 SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year and has been one of the standouts for the Springbok Women in 2024.
Janse van Rensburg became the first woman in South African rugby history to score more than 200 points when she scored her 11th Test try during a match against Spain in September at Cape Town Stadium.
Chumisa Qawe
The 26-year-old is the younger of the Qawe twins with Chuma being the oldest.
Chumisa Qawa plays her rugby at the Bulls Daisies. The centre has been amazing in 2024, stealing the headlines during the Springbok Women’s WXV tournament.
She was one of the try-scorers during South Africa’s 31-24 win over Japan in the WXV 2 opener in Cape Town.
Nadine Roos
The 28-year-old is a dual athlete and switches from 15s to Sevens with ease.
Roos does not have a local club at the moment, but she used to play for the Nagato Blue Angels in Japan.
She recently steered the BlitzBoks Women to second in the World Rugby HSBC Challenger Series.
In 15s, she proved to be vital for the Springbok Women during WXV 2, slotting in at flyhalf for the campaign.
Vainah Ubisi
Born in Moletjie Leokama in Limpopo, Ubisi plays for Bulls Daisies.
At just 22 years old, Ubisi is becoming one of the country’s leading athletes.
She was a standout during the Women’s Premier Division for the Bulls Daisies in 2024 and was named the Player of the Match during the Women’s Premier Division Final against Western Province in August.
She was also named the Forward of the Year at the Bulls Awards in 2024.
The lock has impressed at Test level, playing a vital role for the Springbok Women against Barbarians, Spain and during the WXV 2.
