The Springbok Women are perfectly happy to sail under the radar at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and prefer not to get into the pre-tournament hype of the global showpiece event.

That is the view of Springbok Women No 8 Aseza Hele ahead of their opening game against France in Auckland.    

The fact that England, France and Fiji are in Pool C with South Africa resulted in a fairly low-key introduction of the team in green and gold and that is just the way they prefer it, says Hele. 

“We would like to come into the tournament as the underdogs. Others might not rank or rate us to win the tournament, but we know what we are capable of,” said the 27-year-old.

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“We are a sisterhood here and we support each other. We know each other’s stories and journeys and know what it took to make it to this point, so we will definitely support each other and would implore the people back home to do the same.  

“We want to show to them what we are capable of, but for them to see that, they must get up early for the match against France,” Hele added. 

“As underdogs, we have the freedom to go out and play. We believe in what we are doing and if we get the game plan right come Saturday, we will be doing good.” 

The wet conditions the team encountered in New Zealand so far are not what they are used to, but Hele said they have to adapt, and quickly at that. 

“We have no choice but to adapt and if we do so we will be OK. We trained against Scotland last Saturday and it was very wet,” she said. 

During the welcoming event, World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said they are committed to expanding the women’s game to new levels. 

“The development of women in rugby is the single greatest opportunity for our sport to grow in the next decade,” said Gilpin. 

“Our mission is a sport where every girl and boy have equal opportunity. Where targeted investment in the women’s game drives transformational change. Where we have strong and sustainable global competitions, growth and retention plans at every level. 

“Rugby World Cup 2022 promises to be a very special event, which will springboard the sport into a golden era of opportunity, accelerating the phenomenal rise of women’s rugby on a global basis. I wish the best of luck to all teams competing in this very special event.”

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Photo:@Twitter