SA are ‘real dark horses for World Cup’

Nadine Roos can help fire ‘dark horses’ South Africa all the way at the Women’s Rugby World Cup after booking a historic first ever quarterfinal spot, believes former Wales captain and pundit Philippa Tuttiett.

Swys de Bruin’s Springboks have traditionally enjoyed significantly less success at the global showpiece than their male counterparts, with their best finishes two consecutive pool stage appearances in 2010 and 2014.

But the opening two weekends have seen them banish those demons in style, beating both Brazil and Italy to book their place in the knockout stages.

Utility-back Roos has starred in both of those triumphs, requiring just two minutes to score the first of her side's 11 tries against Brazil in Northampton and remaining influential throughout.

And she followed that up against Italy in York, dotting down once again as a hard-fought 29-24 victory propelled them into the last eight.

Tuttiett, one of Wales Sevens’ highest-capped stars who captained the side at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, has loved watching De Bruin’s side and believes those results can lay the foundations for them to emerge as the tournament's surprise package.

HUGE HITS

“It's easy to say that the player that impressed me the most is England’s Ellie Kildunne,” said Tuttiett, who was speaking to celebrate a historic year of women’s sport ahead of the Defender Burghley Horse Trials alongside British eventing star Izzy Taylor.

“But equally, seeing nations we don't get to see that much of like South Africa, with their incredibly powerful forwards, and Nadine Roos, who has been dictating the play and putting in huge hits, is brilliant.

“For a player who isn't that big, she is taking on much bigger players – and taking every opportunity that comes her way.

“I think her and South Africa can be real dark horses in the tournament.”

BEST ATTENDED

But more broadly, the player-turned pundit has been hugely impressed with the competition so far.

More than 85 000 fans attended eight matches across England during the opening weekend, from the hosts' record-breaking opening win over the USA in Sunderland to New Zealand's success over Spain in York on Sunday.

That preceded organisers revealing that more than 400 000 tickets have now been sold, setting a new landmark for the tournament - already guaranteed to be the best attended women's World Cup ever.

“The start has absolutely blown me away,” admitted Tuttiett.

“The attendance figures, the tickets that have been sold, the noise and the atmosphere of the stadiums.

“It's not just a competition to cheer on the best of the best but it's also an opportunity for people who haven't watched to come down and I guarantee you from the music and the atmosphere and the vibe you will have a good time.

“It's amazing to see the growth of it. I'm not going to lie. I'm a bit jealous. We didn't have those crowds back then but to see the growth of not only the audience but also the competition level, the quality of rugby we're now seeing and just the fact that these superstars are getting support from so many different people and nations cheering them on shows the huge growth of rugby.

“This may be a big tournament but the next World Cup is going to be even bigger.”