Eloise and I can be quite lethal as a halfback pairing, says Springbok Women star Nadine Roos

It was not hard to calculate who the most popular Springbok Women’s player at the girls coaching clinic held at the SK Walmers RFC ground at the Green Point Track was on Wednesday.

Even with the Black Ferns XV in attendance, who boast legendary All Blacks and Auckland Blues flyhalf Carlos Spencer as part of their coaching staff, the youngsters flocked to SA Women’s Rugby Player of the Year Nadine Roos.

Even during her scheduled media activities, Roos was called away to share a few inspirational words with the excited group.

“I think obviously what's really important for us as a group is to inspire the younger generation. And I think this is exactly where it starts for us. Investing our time and our effort and the skill and experience that we have in rugby to be able to give back to the younger generation,” the Bok utility back said.

“But also just showing them how to also have fun and enjoy it, even though for us it's a professional daily job that we have to do. And sometimes you live in a world where there's a lot of pressure in our careers.

“But just also show, that's how we can inspire is also by having fun and giving back to them and just showing what they're also capable of. I believe in the future of Springbok women's rugby in South Africa.”

Roos is indisputably the superstar of the Springbok Women’s team. But she handles all the fanfare with a great deal of grace and modesty. So much so that she’s willing to switch from her regular fullback position to scrumhalf - as coach Swys de Bruin did in the previous match against Canada - for the sake of the team’s interests. 

And while the starting XV for Saturday’s clash against the Black Ferns XV will only officially be announced on Thursday, Roos will don the No 9 jumper at Athlone Stadium after training from the base of the scrum all week in tandem with former Sevens teammate Eloise Webb at flyhalf. 

“There's been clarity around what position they want us to play with an indication that they want to play me at 9,” Roos said.

“I think with me and Eloise, that half-back combination, I think if we get time on the training field together, that time will go into quality and I think we will be quite lethal. 

“I think with me and Eloise coming from the Sevens as well, we've played a whole Seven series together, also 9, 10 or 10, 12 combinations. So, we're kind of used to the style of play that we have and I think we're kind of a good combo as well, just with the experience that we have together.”

Although the majority of the Black Ferns squad that will be aiming to defend their Women’s Rugby World Cup crown in England next month are not here in South Africa, there are still star players such as flyhalf Hannah King, was nominated for the 2024 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year, that will be eager to put in performance against the Boks in a bid to persuade coach Allan Bunting they should be in the match-day 23 against Spain on August 24 at York Stadium.

Roos is therefore under no illusions of the challenge that lay ahead of the Boks on Saturday.

“Yeah, look, you can see there's not really familiar faces from the World Cup squad. But I think definitely, they’re still a quality side. It's not to underestimate them. I think they're very good,” she said.

“The one thing that I've seen, even from the Sevens side, there's quality players in there. But I think just in general, the Black Ferns and the Black Ferns XV played against each other (recently) and you can almost see the systems are very similar. 

“There's quality play in there. You can expect exactly the same, even if it's not the Black Ferns itself. But it is the Black Ferns. So yeah, it's still a quality side.”