Nadine Roos: It's a great time to be a female rugby player in South Africa

The 29-year-old playmaker was among the big winners at the SA Rugby Awards in Cape Town, where she was named SA Rugby Women's Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and also received the inaugural Women's Sevens Player of the Year award.

"Claiming the Women's Sevens award, which is a first of its kind, is incredible and it's a testament to the growth of women's rugby in South Africa," Roos said.

Roos is one of the few players who excel in both sevens and the traditional 15-player game. Her development began on a farm, where she grew up playing sport with boys.

"I grew up on a farm amongst the boys. We played everything from rugby, soccer, cricket to golf. We also kicked a lot," Roos said. "The freedom of growing up on the farm, you tend to become competitive with the boys. They teach you to develop a thick skin, and you want to step them - you want to pass and kick better than them, which is where my development started."

Despite the lack of structured development pathways historically available to female players in South Africa, Roos has become a rare dual international.

"Since my childhood I have had a feel for sports. I found joy in sport and living out my god-given talent. I just want to enjoy the moments on a rugby field, because it's a privilege to play this game at this level," she said.

"There are very few players who play 15s and sevens. Rugby stays rugby, with some tactical difference between the two. For me to go from one system to another, it really takes a lot of focus. It's just about staying present in the moment."

Roos is currently preparing with the national sevens squad for the upcoming HSBC Sevens Challenger Series tournaments. "We have been training really hard. Coach Cecil Afrika has been doing an amazing job with the squad," she said. "He knows how difficult it is to retain your position in an elite tournament, and he understands the hard work that is needed. It has been great working with him."

The Springbok Women face a demanding year that includes a historic series against the Black Ferns and the Women's Rugby World Cup in England.

"It is an amazing time for us," Roos said. "If you look back a few years, there were no Test matches for the women's game⦠So to go, from five matches last year to ten is double in one year, it is exciting because it's the only way we can grow and learn as players is by playing the game."

She believes the increased opportunities signal a turning point for the women's game.

"Years back, we always moaned as players that we did not get game time, experience, and exposure, and now we have the game opportunities," Roos said. "It is a great time to be a female rugby player in South Africa and in the world currently. There are a lot of initiatives around growing the women's game."

Roos, who is currently playing club rugby in Japan, also hopes to return home in the future.

"Currently, the sevens are keeping me busy, and it has given me a career, so now it's time for me to give back to the system," she said. "Hopefully, if the sevens is in a better place, I can get an opportunity to sign with a club locally."

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