Sanelisiwe Charlie

"The knowledge that I can compete at this level was just such a boost and for me the biggest achievement of my life. Look, no prop scrums alone, so it is not about me, but it was great to force my opponent to concede penalties and for our forwards to enjoy dominance over a highly-rated French pack."

"And I want to assist in mauls, make tackles, and carry the ball. The nice thing about all of that is that I can do so with my team and when we play together, we get things done."

"I can an really look back at this day for a long time. Here I was, being part of the opening match of the World Cup and when the action began, I felt at home."

"But because of my body shape, people kept saying, ‘you need to play, you need to play’. I was 18. I just thought, ‘why not’. So I tried. And the rest is history."

"But I want to tell girls that it’s OK to look how you look. I am grateful for my strength. I use my strength to push for my country. Why would I not be proud of that?"

"If I don’t keep winning penalties then someone else will come and take my position. And if I lose my position, if I lose my contract, then my family won’t eat. I can’t let that happen"

"I’ll keep pushing hard. For my family and for South Africa. For all young girls who want to play rugby. Ya, I can say that I’ll always keep pushing"