Roos headlines Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens training squad
Springbok Women
SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year Nadine Roos has been named in a Springbok Women’s Sevens training squad of 18 players preparing for the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Championship in Nairobi on 15–16 November.
Image: Adrian Dennis / AFP
South Africa’s Rugby Women’s Player of the Year, Nadine Roos, has been named in an 18-player Springbok Women’s Sevens training squad as preparations intensify for the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Championship in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 15 and 16.
The camp, held at the University of Pretoria’s High Performance Centre (HPC), kicked off on Wednesday and will run for a week before the final 12-player squad departs for Kenya next Wednesday.
With head coach Renfred Dazel currently assisting Blitzbok coach Philip Snyman in the 2025/26 HSBC SVNS Series, Cecil Afrika will travel with the team as coach for this tournament. Afrika, a former Blitzbok star and World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, has been part of the women’s coaching structure since 2023.
The training squad boasts a blend of experienced internationals and exciting young talent, with several players having recently represented South Africa at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, where the team reached the quarter finals for the first time.
Alongside Roos, the likes of Zintle Mpupha, Byrhandrè Dolf, Ayanda Malinga, Lerato Makua, and Faith Tshauke return to national duty.
The group also includes Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Leigh Fortuin, Simamkele Namba, Patience Mokone, Alicia Willemse, and Maria Tshiremba, all of whom featured in the HSBC SVNS Play-Off tournament in Los Angeles earlier this year.
There is further good news for fans as Liske Lategan and Shannon-Lee Windvogel make their return from long-term injuries, while the UP-Tuks duo of Thandi Fudu and Jane Mulder have been rewarded for their standout performances at the USSA Sevens, where Tuks Women claimed the title.
South Africa will compete in Pool A alongside Zambia, Ghana, and Egypt, needing a top-two finish to advance and keep their hopes alive for qualification to the 2026 World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger Series.
Pool breakdown:
- Pool A: South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Egypt
- Pool B: Kenya, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso
- Pool C: Uganda, Madagascar, Mauritius, Côte d’Ivoire
Springbok Women’s Sevens training squad:
Forwards: Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Leigh Fortuin, Liske Lategan, Zintle Mpupha, Asisipho Plaatjies, Faith Tshauke, Lerato Makua, and Thandi Fudu.
Backs: Nadine Roos, Vianca Boer, Simamkele Namba, Maria Tshiremba, Patience Mokone, Ayanda Malinga, Byrhandrè Dolf, Shannon Windvogel, Alicia Willemse, and Jane Mulder.