Captain of the TuksRugby Women’s Sevens team, Libbie Janse van Rensburg can vouch for the sport after running with the ball and tackling for the last three years.

She readily admits to that at first she was sceptical. The idea of engaging an opposition player physically on a rugby field along with the stigma attached to women playing rugby did not make it seem like an attractive sports option to her. 

Luckily Riaan van der Merwe, Coach of the TuksRugby Women’s Sevens team, convinced her to give it go. She toured with the team to play a tournament in Paris.

“I had some mixed feelings after the tour. I had decided that sevens rugby was not for me. I would rather stick to touch rugby, but Riaan is not one to take no for an answer. The next year he convinced me to give it another go. And here I am still playing the sport and I am really enjoying myself.

“To play sevens rugby requires a mind shift. I learnt that the first tackle was really important. You have to go in as hard as you can without injuring yourself. Once you have survived it, you realise that playing rugby is not so bad. 

“Being naturally fast is definitely a bonus because it makes it more difficult for your opponents to tackle you. Basically, if you got the skills, understand the rules and love the game you should play sevens rugby. There will be sceptics who will have a lot to say about women playing rugby but let them be as long as you are enjoying yourself. I definitely am.”

Asked whether the risk of getting seriously injured does not bother she said: “If it happens it happens. All wounds heal. The worst injury I suffered was getting a concussion during a game.”

Last year Janse van Rensburg played two tournaments for the South African Sevens Invitational Side. She was offered the opportunity to play for the National Sevens Side but she has decided to focus on her studies.

She proved what it meant to be a dedicated student last year. In spite of being away for nearly three months due to her rugby obligations, she still managed to pass her Sports Science degree cum laude.  She achieved this by studying at various airports around the world, on airplanes and in hotel rooms while her teammates were sightseeing.

Janse van Rensburg began playing rugby at a young age. She grew up on a farm in Ellisras where her nephews were always looking for players to strengthen their teams. She had no qualms about joining them. “I was quite a keen rugby player up to the age of 13. At the time I thought that rugby should not be a sport that girls should be playing. I then started playing ‘girly’ sports like hockey and netball and I was quite good at it.”

But Janse got bitten by the rugby bug. When she got the opportunity to play touch rugby she grabbed it with both hands. A definite highlight for her was representing South Africa at a World Cup Tournament in Australia. The team finished 4th overall.

Janse van Rensburg goal as captain of the TuksRugby Women’s Sevens Teams is to defend the University Sports South Africa title that they have won in the last two years.