The ability to deliver a competitive performance at next year’s Rugby World Cup remains the end goal for the Springbok Women and although that is still almost a year away, Byrhandré Dolf insists their first step on that road needs to be decisive.
Their very first hurdle on that road comes on Saturday in Cape Town against a very experienced Barbarians team, laden with battle-hardened senior players from all around the world.
For Dolf, who will be the youngest player on the field at DHL Stadium, where she will start at fullback for South Africa, the occasion will be massive, but so will the opportunities that matches as this one provides.
She played against the Baabaas in last year’s fixture at Athlone Stadium and as Dolf points out, learned a lot on that occasion.
“I was only five test caps into my career when I faced them and maybe did not really understand enough of who the Baabaas were, and the World Cup was far away at that time,” said Dolf.
“What I remember from that day was how tough it was to try and anticipate what they were going to do and that made me realise how important playmakers and decisionmakers on the field are.”
This time around, Dolf has 14 caps and has grown into a playmaking role, and Saturday’s DHL Stadium crowd can expect to see good decision-making from the fullback.
“We certainly have a more creative mindset and the addition of some of the sevens players added to that,” said Dolf, one of the players who were at the Olympic Games in Paris recently.
“The ball will reach the wings and they will be dangerous when in possession.”
Aside from the Rugby World Cup and the more pressing matter of preparing for WXV 2, which starts on 27 September, Dolf said this time around she will appreciate the opportunity to play the Baabaas much more.
“I now understand the hype a litter better and also what massive legacy some of their players have left in the game,” she said.
“This actually motivates me to become like them and as a Springbok Women player to elevate us to that level.
“Just image the next 21-year-old somewhere in the world playing against a Baabaas team that have a significant number of Springbok Women amongst them. If that happens, these small steps we are taking now will in fact have been big strides.”
Dolf, who captained the Junior Springbok Women in 2022 against Zimbabwe U20 when they played a curtain raiser for the Springbok Women against Spain in Potchefstroom, said she is humbled to be part of the senior team who now shares a field with the Springboks.
“That match meant so much to all our girls, as we could share the field with our favourite Springbok Women,” she said.
“This time, as Springbok Women, we share the same field with the Springboks. For me and everyone else, that is going to be such a great feeling. The guys are really backing us and we know that a good showing in Cape Town will also be a reward to them.”
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi spent most of Thursday with the team and Dolf said that was inspiring: “It was awesome to have him around and it meant a lot to the team. I really hope we get the same support from the DHL Stadium crowd, who will hopefully, like Siya, invest in some time to spend with us.”