PREVIEW: HSBC SVNS World Championship Women's - Hong Kong
WOMEN’S SVNS SPOTLIGHT: South Africa will be one of 12 teams that will feature in a three-tournament World Championship race that will crown the sport’s ultimate champions in 2026.
Fresh from SVNS 2 action, South Africa along with Argentina, Brazil and Spain join the eight women’s core Series teams in Hong Kong.
South Africa will be without their star Nadine Roos, however Zintle Mpupha makes a return to the squad while Ayanda Malinga is set to captain the side.
There are also two new faces in the form of Owami Mohuli and Jane Mulder.
However, Mohuli (19) and Mulder (20) will hold no fear or favour in Hong Kong on Friday, shared by a firm desire to deliver their best effort, knowing that a sound performance for their country could ease the way for their age-group peers and their future rugby journeys.
“We certainly are aware what we are playing for and what solid performances in this tournament could mean for the sevens programme and women’s rugby as a whole,” said Mulder as they prepare for a tough opening day against Australia and Canada, two very established competitors in the HSBC SVNS set-up.
“Although we are new players in the team, we share the same determination as the most experienced ones to do well this weekend.”
Mulder was born into rugby, so to speak, as the daughter of 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok centre Japie Mulder, and the impact of the game would not have gone unnoticed in her household.
KZN-raised Mohuli’s path with rugby crossed by chance, but now she will not trade the sport for anything else. Being on the verge of playing for her country further fuels the fire.
A wing in 15s, Mohuli played hockey, soccer and netball at school, and did athletics.
“I was offered a netball bursary by Free State University, but in my second year, discovered rugby and I have not stopped since,” said Mohuli.
“I played for the Free State U20s last year and that resulted into a call-up to the SA Rugby EPD camp for Under-19 players late last year.
“This season, I played for the Free State Women in the Pick n Pay Women’s Super League and was due to join the Under-20 camp, but that call-up changed to this opportunity.”
Mulder’s progress into rugby also started at provincial level, with the Golden Lions Women, and then the Junior Springbok Women, before her sevens call-up came in November last year, when the University of Pretoria student trained with the BlitzBok Women and was included in the ‘A’-side that contested the Dubai Sevens International Invitational tournament.
“Looking back at that tournament afterwards, I felt that I could have been more assertive in my ball-carrying instead of looking at options out wide all the time, so I think I can do that better this time around,” said Mulder.
“That said, we all have a role to play in the team and that comes first. It will be massive if we can deliver a solid result at the tournament because that could pave the way for playing in the series.”
Mohuli, who loves the contact part of rugby the most, said the all-action nature of sevens rugby speaks to her: “You have to be everywhere, at one ruck you could be scrumhalf, the next wing and then you clean a ruck again. That is great and I love that, as in fifteens as a wing, you are not that involved necessarily.”
A big fan of Roos, the third-year student admits disappointment that she will not share the same field as the injured national sevens captain, but Mohuli is still keen to learn from the SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year.
“She might not be around this weekend, but we are here because of her and the rest of the team’s contributions during the qualifiers to Hong Kong. We owe it to her and the rest to be at our very best and use this opportunity,” she said.
Fixtures:
(Kick-off is local time: GMT+8)
Friday April 17
Day One:
France v Argentina (10.30)
USA v Spain (10.53)
Canada v Great Britain (12.02)
Australia v South Africa (12.25)
France v Spain (13.34)
USA v Argentina (13.57)
Canada v South Africa (15.12)
Australia v Great Britain (15.35)
Fiji v Japan (16.44)
New Zealand v Brazil (17.07)
Hong Kong China v Denmark (18.22)
Fiji v Brazil (20.01)
New Zealand v Japan (20.24)
Saturday, April 18
Day Two
Argentina v Spain (09.30)
USA v France (09.53)
Great Britain v South Africa (11.04)
Australia v Canada (11.27)
Japan v Brazil (12.38)
New Zealand v Fiji (13.01)
Hong Kong China v Thailand (14.12)
Play-offs: TBC
Sunday, April 19
Day Three
Finals: TBC
*Additional reporting: SA Rugby and World Rugby
