Springbok Women ready for the biggest challenge of their careers against England

The last time Chumisa Qawe walked off the field after representing the Springbok Women's team, she was feeling good about herself.

She had just played at Ellis Park in a curtain-raiser for the Rugby Championship match between the Springboks and All Blacks, where she delivered a good performance against Spain, being named player-of-the-match.

She did not anticipate the next time she would don the green and gold would only be at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Qawe will be in the starting line-up when SA take on England in their final Rugby World Cup Pool C clash at Waitakere Stadium in Auckland on Sunday morning (kickoff 6.45am SA time).

“Yes, I was hurt, and I did not it take well when I was not selected again, although Aphiwe Ngwevu had all my support in the No.12-jersey,” said Qawe.

“But my family and friends told me to keep working hard, my chance will come again. And now it is happening, against the best team in the world. I am so happy and excited that my next game for the team will be against England of all teams. I am ready for them, I hope they are ready for me,” she added.

That is not the only reason she is smiling, though. Chumisa is the younger of the Qawe twins and history will be made at Waitakere Stadium in Auckland as Chuma has also been included in the match-day squad, albeit on the bench.

“I hope we can share the same field on Sunday and that I will still be in the match when she comes off the bench,” said Chumisa.

“She is my other half. We fight a lot, but on the field, we understand each other and love playing in the same team.”

The Qawe sisters will be the first twins to represent SA at the Rugby World Cup. “We are the first in our family to play for the Springbok Women, so everyone is proud about that and for us to be in the same World Cup squad is even more special.”

The Qawes will know each other's games very well, something Springbok Women lock Catha Jacobs hopes will also work for her as she starts for the team for the first time at the RWC.

Jacobs hopes the knowledge gained in playing for Saracens in the Allianz Premiership will assist her team when they face England.

“There are a number of Saracens players in their squad, so I have played with them and against most of the other England players in the Premiership, which gave me some ideas on how we should approach this game,” said Jacobs.

 “They are all very skilful players and have the advantage of playing a lot of rugby, and they are very experienced as well.

“England use their line-out and maul to great effect and we will need to be pretty sharp on Sunday to defend that. One cannot predict the result, but I can say one thing for a fact, we will stay in the fight till the end and England will surely feel our presence on the field.”

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