'Beautiful things can happen' — Bok Women's captain Sindi Booi ahead of playoff clash with New Zealand

Springbok Women’s captain Nolusindiso Booi vows that there will be no capitulation from her team in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand, the defending champions and hot favourites for this match.

Booi, who is captaining the fast-improving side for a record 26th time, says there is no way that the South Africans will simply roll over in their Exeter playoff after fighting the odds, training for hours and hours, and spending months away from family and friends.

Booi said the match will not only mark a special day in the history of South African rugby, but it will mark a special performance from her team as well.

“There is something special about this group — we come from different backgrounds and all of us have different stories on how rugby shaped our lives,” she said on Friday.

“But one thing is pulling us together and making us work together with a smile and a common purpose, and that is what the Springbok Women’s jersey stands for. We will run onto that field tomorrow as one, and no one is leaving anything out there.”

Booi has already indicated that this will be her last year of playing Test rugby, and as such, she is treating every game as if it were the last one she will play in the green and gold.

“So for me, it is easy to get motivated and leave it all out there as I know it could be the last one ever, and I don’t want to regret that I did not empty the tank,” she said.

“For the rest of the team, the (individual) motivation might be different, but the effort will stay the same for all of us. This is the moment we worked for, and we owe it to ourselves, our supporters, our sponsors, and everyone who invested time, effort, and money into this team, to go out there guns blazing.

“If we come up short but we gave it all, even then it will be worth it.”

Booi said the Black Ferns’ reputation and record are well established and deserved, and the South Africans are going to Sandy Park as the underdogs.

The only time the two teams ever played was in 2010 when the World Cup was held in England as well, with the Black Ferns winning 55-5 in Guildford. Booi played in that match, coming off the bench in what was the start of a record-breaking career.

On Saturday, she will earn a record 56th cap.

“Yes, it could be my last match against them as well, but hopefully not,” she said. “We did not come this far just to participate. We did not work this hard to just come and play. Winning is the only thing on our minds right now.

“We have seen that if we put our minds and bodies together as a team, beautiful things can happen.”

Springbok Women’s team to face New Zealand in Exeter:

15 Byrhandré Dolf, 14 Maceala Samboya, 13 Zintle Mpupha, 12 Aphiwe Ngwevu, 11 Ayanda Malinga, 10 Libbie Janse van Rensburg, 9 Nadine Roos, 8 Aseza Hele, 7 Sinazo Mcatshulwa, 6 Sizophila Solontsi, 5 Danelle Lochner, 4 Nolusindiso Booi (captain), 3 Babalwa Latsha, 2 Lindelwa Gwala, 1 Sanelisiwe Charlie.

Replacements: 16 Luchell Hanekom, 17 Yonela Ngxingolo, 18 Nombuyekezo Mdliki, 19 Vainah Ubisi, 20 Anathi Qolo, 21 Lerato Makua, 22 Catha Jacobs, 23 Eloise Webb.