"At the same time, speed and fitness had to come into play, especially in transitions. If I had to choose one thing it was our discipline and structure. That gave us a foundation to compete, to stick to our plan and to trust each other in the big moments"

"Off the field, it’s about being approachable, sharing knowledge and making them feel supported in moments of doubt"

"The mood in the squad has been amazing heading into the new season. Playing for this team on its own carries a lot of pressure because we have set ourselves a very high standard. That means we have to push even harder to stay at the top."

"I think it was a message that the Springbok Women belong at the highest level. It means that young girls can dream bigger and the country can start to see the true potential of women’s rugby."

"On the field, it’s about composure, showing younger players that you can handle pressure, stick to the system and still express yourself"

"I want girls to know their dreams are valid, no matter where they start. I was once a young girl with a dream too and it took years of work, setbacks and faith to get there."

"That environment sharpened my ability to make quick decisions, manage space effectively and maintain intensity over long periods"

"It also taught me resilience because in sevens you can be down and out in one minute but turn the game around the next. Those lessons have translated into 15s, especially at the World Cup, where the stakes are so high."

"The mandate is clear—win every trophy we lost. It starts with winning COSAFA because that puts us in a strong position to compete for the CAF Women’s Champions League title. If we get another shot at competing Continentally, I believe we will perform better because we have already experienced that level"

"It’s about keeping composure, adapting to what’s in front of you and the skill be it passing, tackling and quickly bouncing back up into the game"

"Sevens teaches you to live in those high-pressure moments, there’s no room to hide, every second counts and each decision can change the game"

"So, yes, this environment does not require me to go and look for work, this is my work. And every rugby player would appreciate that, especially for women in the country"

"I went to the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and that's where I started playing rugby in my final year. My mom did not want me to play any sport before I got my degree and qualification."

"It was a mix of joy and gratitude. Personally, I thought back to all the years of sacrifice, challenges faced and the faith that kept me going when the road wasn’t easy"

"But she was happy with me playing as soon as rugby wanted to pay for my tertiary fees, so that's how I started playing, and I played for the Sharks for over nine years before I now joined the Bulls Daisies"

"We have prepared well for this one and we have showed that we can play with the best. This is what this tournament is all about, proving that we belong."

"It will be good for us to train against France, as they are in the middle of their current campaign and will be full of speed and intensity, whilst we have not played together since the WXV. Also, as you can see, the weather is quite nice now to play rugby"

"To finally see it pay off on a stage like the RWC felt like a testimony to God’s grace and our team’s resilience. For women’s rugby in South Africa, it was so much bigger than just us"

"The trick for the weekend will be to look to what we want to achieve and to go out there and enjoy it."

"What we did see against the New Zealanders in Cape Town was that our physicality is tough to live with, and that gives us confidence for the weekend."

"That's the main reason, or part of, why I'm here – that I can provide for my family and I can provide for myself being in this environment"

"I now feel a responsibility to be an icon for other young girls. Being raised by my grandmother, I try every day to hold the values she taught me."

"It is not about impressing the coaches, although that will be part of everyone's thinking, but playing international rugby again. I was kicking my heels long enough, now it is time to play,"

"The crowds are amazing and the support for their home team is just off the charts. For us as players, not used to play in front of 15 000 fans, it is a real experience, and I cannot wait to feel that energy again. It is actually the ideal place to make a return to test rugby for me."

"I still struggle to trust people. I find it difficult getting too close to people. I keep my circle very small. It can be hard. I’ve definitely not had a difficult life. I’ve had an amazing life. But ya, I suppose you can say it had an impact."

"I am just so happy to be back. I love playing for my country and this is such a great opportunity for me to show that I am fit and ready for another Rugby World Cup."

"We know we’re not going in as favourites, But the growth of our team gives us a lot of confidence. We have structures in place. We have a game plan. We know what we need to do. We’re not shouting and making a lot of noise or promising we’ll do this or that. But keep an eye out for us. That’s all I’m saying."

"Because so many of our players are professional, and because they don’t have to worry about things like a second job or worrying about when they can train, we can work on things on the scrum, the line-out, the maul."

"Growing up on my grandmother’s farm, rugby was this thing that brought us all together. We’d all get a braai going, I’d play with the boys and the game was just this way to make me feel part of a family"

"That’s become our strength and we now love to get physical with teams and we back ourselves to compete in that space. We want to go to dark places with teams. We want to bring them to the gutter. We want to get physical because that’s a South African way of playing. The men’s team has had so much success playing"

"There is no silver bullet. Life will have it own, unique, individually-crafted set of gifts waiting for you."

"It is great to have a goal, but the most rewarding thing, I’ve found, is overcoming the obstacles on the way to achieving those goals. You’ll need to feel that fire burning underneath you in order to keep you going if you decide to pursue your passion as your career, and that fire is great! But don’t forgot to go with the flow… Sure there might be a few blows here and there, but it shouldn’t feel like a constant fight."

"Keep having fun! Stay professional, but don’t take yourself too seriously."

"The bottom line is, there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to diet and nutrition."

"Whenever the Springboks were on we’d all share the gees [Afrikaans for spirit]. When I’d see one of the players do something on the field I couldn’t wait to go and try it in the garden"

"We stayed on our toes, even during the festive period. We were given individual programs to maintain our fitness and keep the momentum going. Having an early preseason has also been a big advantage, giving us more time to get ready."

"And when you’re having a bad day, a dry spell or a feel like you’re losing momentum; go out into the world and see what you can give to others… No expectations of what you’ll get in return. Your relationships will keep you fuelled along your journey - don’t forget to nourish them."

"Self-care, self-motivation, self-focus are all important and necessary to keep those batteries charged. But placing my focus on others is the thing that really fuelled me, and continues to do so, throughout this pandemic. It’s like ‘curing’ two birds with one stone – there’s almost no way you’ll come out of helping others not feeling better personally."

"But we’re not here to just make up the numbers. We want to prove that women’s rugby in South Africa deserves attention, that we deserve respect. That’s on us. We’ll only get that respect if we deliver on the field. We’re all fully focussed on what we need to do."

"After starting martial arts training with two-time Muay Thai World Champion, Quentin Chong, I felt such an incredible sense of inner strength (as well as outer - ‘Hello muscles, I didn’t know I had you!’) that I wanted others to feel this too."

"I often find myself feeling like I am speaking a foreign language, even though we are all speaking English."

"Go out into the world and make it happen - one step at a time."

"I wanted to be my own hero."

"I believe it is important for everyone to be able to physically fend for themselves, not just women exclusively."

"Every individual unfortunately has the prospective of becoming the target of a predator. Prevention and avoidance is step number one - something I make a point of highlighting at my self-defence seminars."

"Remember why you started acting - hold onto that."

"From the moment I was nearly kidnapped, I craved something I had never craved before… It wasn’t just ‘safety’ or ‘sanctuary’, it was more than that. I craved POWER! I finally understood what that buzz word was all about - ‘EMPOWERMENT’. Never again did I want to be the deer caught in headlights, the Beauty overpowered by the Beast, the timid Lion on the Yellow Brick Road to Oz."

"You can be still professional without being serious - keep the fun alive. Keep the creativity going."

"The reality is I spend every moment working to achieve my goals. Every day that I'm not on set, I'm creating opportunities to be on set."

"If you don't ask, you don't get!"