Rugby World Cup – South Africa Not Afraid of Star Player Sansus
South Africa rugby captain Nolusindiso Booi has spoken of her team’s drive and ambition going into their Rugby World Cup opener against France on Saturday 8th October.
“We’ve been working so hard. For us, beating Japan in Japan was something amazing, that’s something we’ve been building to have, that winning culture,” she said.
“Beating Spain at home after playing in Spain so many times was something positive … people are starting to recognise us and taking us seriously.
“We have something that is there, we can come up with some beautiful rugby. For this weekend it’s time for people to see that we are here, and we are not just here to play around, we’re here to compete.”
Their game against France will be the opening game of the tournament, and Booi went on to speak with anticipation about the crowd they will be playing in front of.
So far over 30,000 tickets have been sold for the first day of the tournament, which would break a World record for attendance at a women’s Rugby World Cup match.
“It’s something that we wish could happen in our country and people come in numbers to support us.
“It’s something beautiful to see the field full of people and knowing those people are not only cheering for their teams but also supporting us as we play. We can’t wait for that,” she commented.
When looking ahead to their opponents, Booi says her team are aware of the threat that French scrum half Laure Sansus poses and have adapted their game plan accordingly.
Sansus was a stand-out player in this year’s TikTok Women’s Six Nations, earning herself Player of the Championship in the process.
“We know about her and we have a plan on how we’re going to close her down and make sure she’s not giving us trouble.
“Our bus driver is always giving me the newspaper and there was already an article about her so we already know the story about her,” she said with a laugh.
“We are willing to take chances and make sure we close her down as a team. There are specific players that have volunteered themselves to make sure that she doesn’t go anywhere,”she added.
South Africa will play Pool C opponents France in the opening game of Rugby World Cup 2021 on Saturday 8th October at 14:15 NZT (02:15 UK/IRE time).
