Marlize de Bruin has decided to quit netball to focus on playing sevens rugby. Doing so, she proved ‘change is as good as a holiday'. She will represent the Springbok Women’s Sevens at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town. 

"Netball was good to me. I am leaving the sport with some incredible memories. Playing netball has also changed my life off the court. While playing, I was privileged to earn two degrees at the University of Pretoria. It is definitely time to move on. I have achieved all I can as a netball player. I needed a new challenge. It is why I took up sevens rugby. There was not a moment I regretted doing so.

"I might decide to play netball again three or four years from now, but it will only be in the Telkom Netball League. But for now, my focus is on being the best I can as a sevens rugby player.”

There were often references to de Bruin being South Africa's fittest netball player. She has the distinction of being part of teams that won every major local tournament. A definite highlight was playing for the Gauteng Jaguars, of which, they won the National Netball League title five times successively from 2017 to 2022. On the other hand, she was the vice-captain of TuksNetball when UP-Tuks won their second Varsity Netball title in 2019. Her biggest remorse was never getting an opportunity to play for the SPAR Proteas.

Interestingly, her transition from a centre with a passion for outwitting the opposition team's defence on a netball court to a try-scoring winger on a rugby field is remarkable. She only started playing sevens rugby in March this year. 

De Bruin got her first taste of international rugby in April when the Delta Drone TuksWomensRugby 7’s team played in France and Scotland. It did not take her long to impact the game. She scored three tries during the 2022 Melrose Sevens Tournament. 

The Tuks head coach, Riaan van der Merwe, immediately predicted that de Bruin is good enough to play for the Springbok Women’s Sevens. 

"I am impressed by Marlize's tactical savviness. She can change the direction of the game at any moment. She has a brilliant sidestep. More importantly, she is a quick learner."

During the recent 2022 World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in Chile, she made her senior sevens rugby international debut for South Africa and scored a try in their 29-10 victory against Papua New Guinea in the ninth place semi-finals.

According to De Bruin, the biggest challenge she faced when she started to play rugby was going for big tackles. 

"Getting tackled did not faze me. Netball is not a non-contact sport. There were games I got knocked down every so often. But I got to admit I was scared at first to tackle anyone. You really got to put your body on the line. Go in hard. 

"But in seven's rugby, you can't forever shy away from your responsibilities. There was that one game where I was the last defender. Scared as I was, I knew I had no choice. I had to go for the tackle. If I did not, it would have meant points against us. I made it, and I am glad I did.”

On a greater note, de Bruin's elder brother, Luan, is a professional rugby player for Edinburgh Rugby in the England Premiership Rugby. He has previously played in South Africa for the Cheetahs in the Pro14 and the Free State Cheetahs in the Currie Cup and for Leicester Tigers in England. His regular position is a tight-head prop.