She Won The Title. Two Days Later, They Cut Her Contract | Libbie & Rumandi

Welcome to 2Blessed2Bstressed, the podcast version, where we speak about whatever we want to speak about and try not to get cancelled. That is the goal. Okay, so first things first, let's get into why we are starting this podcast and yeah, why are we starting it? How did it come about and yeah let's speak them through it i think it's been a long time coming now if we must be honest we've spoken about having a podcast since i think the beginning of our rugby journeys and yeah now we are mature enough to know what to say and not with and not to say and um well that's to be confirmed um but yeah we've been speaking about it i think it's been out in the air a lot every drive every opportunity opportunity or when something happens we're like yes we need to speak about this or when we experience something we were like we wish we could share it with people and i think this is a great platform to do that um and just talk people through our journeys talk ourselves through our journeys and just yeah share with each other and share with everyone out there i think you're right getting the opportunity to just share our experiences things that people don't necessarily see when they see us on the field you know doing our thing out there and just kind of showing young girls that like sometimes it's really tough out there but if you surround yourself with the right people anything's possible absolutely and also um giving people an insight of the opportunities that sport can give you um not to make only make friendships but to see the world to experience the world uh opportunities like studying things that's maybe not possible some people might think uh that's a bit out of my reach but sport can do that for you that's true and also while we're speaking about all the opportunities and how great it is also speaking about the challenges that we face in women's rugby especially in south africa it's such a new sport and yet it's growing so fast just to highlight some of that you know what a young girl can expect when she enters the the realm of rugby you know what what what can you expect from coaches what can you expect from different teams you know the environment those kind of things and i think also just the bigger picture of women's rugby in south africa what is going on right now what should we be doing as people chilling at home having a glass of wine What can you do to help grow the sport as well? And most importantly, to make fun of ourselves.

Yes. To tell funny stories that happened. And just to have a good laugh about it. Yes, maybe out each other a little bit. The truth will set you free, Ramandi.

The truth will set you free. I'm so scared. This is where the to be confirmed part come in. I'm so scared of what you're going to share. Luckily, we have a very capable producer that can cut some things out that is not made for the world.

Who are we? Who are we? Maybe this is your first time seeing our faces It's not unlikely We are not famous people Or celebrities or whatever If you don't know who we are I'm Libby Hans van Rendsburg Springbok Women's Flyoff Daisy's Flyoff And Olympian Wow, now I have to follow that I'm Romani Podgitter Springbok Scramoff and current Lions Scrum Off as well. I also work at the Lions. I have degrees.

Yes, we are quite educated individuals. We did study. Yes, and just all around good girl. She's lying. Yeah, so that's why it's a rugby podcast, but we'll talk a bit about life as well.

And when we talk about rugby, we talk out of experience. when we talk about life we talk out of our experience of life so that's who we are and we hope you follow our journey. Rumandi who are you off of the field away from rugby who is Rumandi Potlieter the not rugby person? I think the best way to describe me is a couch potato. There you have it folks loves running on the field but never anywhere else.

I'm pretty sure I am unable to get bored. I don't know if that's the right English. But there is nothing in this world that can bore me. If I can lay on the couch the whole Sunday, watching movies, scrolling on Instagram, I am the happiest person alive. I do occasionally get out of the house, if I have to, once a month, if you invite me to something.

While in advance. Or not. Or spontaneous. Because then I get excuses. Yeah, I love laughing, being with people that's not high maintenance I don't like drama don't like maintenance when we if we can just chill and have a good laugh have a bri that's when I'm at my happiest and yeah love my family I have a dog love my dog that's me outside of rugby um who are you outside of rugby this friendship is introverts and extroverts we don't know how it happened um Romani is quite a demanding person i'm also a demanding person but more outwards she's inwards so very strange that we ended up being friends i'm honest with you let me off of the field let me away from rugby oh you know buddha macy like the bush fire hunting getting outside having a good time anything adventurous really i do like to spend my days sometimes just doing nothing as well but not consecutively and maybe also not a whole day my back gets sore i'm at that age i can't lie on the couch is that long my back gets sore I need to get out get moving I also have a dog Balter beautiful little floof ball that he is and yeah love my friends my friends are very very important to me and I think a very big motivator for me to keep doing what I'm doing despite all of the chaos that's often around us and in the world and everything and yeah that's living in a nutshell off of rugby, I guess.

That's important to know. So if she speaks the most, that's why introvert, extrovert. But I do become an extrovert whenever I hang out with her for that few hours. I tend to get out of my shower a bit, sometimes too much, but we won't get into that on episode one. Exert all your energy for the month in one day.

So how is this show going to work? How is it going to look? What can people expect? Where are we going with the show? I think people can expect an inside look into things.

From our perspective, we're also going to be doing something very exciting called the Alfie's Corner. Now, if you don't know about Alfie yet, this is Alfie's Wines. And each week we'll be taking three questions from you folks, people that are watching, people at home. Any three questions that you have for us as rugby players or as non-rugby players, whether it's on-field or field-related, we'll answer three questions. and hopefully you aren't disappointed in us.

That's very exciting and we'll also be playing some games. We will be playing some games, yes. Quick question, quick fire questions. There's a bunch of fun things we'll be doing, so it won't just be us talking. It'll be fun games we'll be playing.

Mostly we'll be asking each other questions, responding to telling stories. It's a lot about storytelling. Yes, I think storytelling definitely. and can I say taking the piss a bit? We'll bleep it out if we can't.

I think just making fun of the situations that we're put in often. I mean, I think we have a couple of clips that maybe we can show. And, you know, just take it back to that moment when something happened on the field, off the field, and maybe you got the wind tackled out of you and you thought everyone would forget about it. Not me, girl. Not me.

I'm going to find those clips. The proof you have receipts. I have receipts. And to all our friends, our rugby friends, our non-rugby friends, none of you are safe. We will be sending you a poppy axe to sign off.

We will be dragging you into this podcast as well because you're part of our journey. And people need to know. There's a lot of personality in women's rugby. And the more people know about these personalities, I think the better. Definitely.

Definitely. So tell me, the first time we met. way back in, I don't know when, we were both studying at the University of Pretoria. What did you think? Because I was playing rugby before you started.

You popped up there, this netball girl. And, you know, we've seen a couple of netball girls come in and out. And some of them, no, they don't make it. Some of them really make it. Yeah.

I mean, we have girls who've really made it. What did you think when you first arrived there, Tuxi Women's 7th training, did you have boots? and now I was there in my netball tackies actually and that was the first thing I was insecure about was like I don't have the gear to approach this new journey and you were the first one to tell me just like just come just show up like everything else will follow just come see if it's for you like first figure out if this is for you so when I met you actually in person here comes a funny story number one first funny story Was it before rugby? No, at rugby training, you had stitches. And I actually, I've been wanting to know the backstory of this.

And for so many years, I haven't asked. But not stitches, like steady strips. And I'm like, geez, if this is what rugby is, I don't want to be part of it. My face, like, she has stitches. And then I'm like, hello, how are you?

And I can't jump right into what happened to your eye. So, like, throughout the training, I was like, looking at this eye, I've got whatever training, whatever. And then when I saw, hey, we actually get along. It's easy. You're super easy going, easy to chat to.

At the end of the training, I was like, so what happened to you? Was it like a rugby injury or something? And you spent some funny story of working in the yard and bumping your eye on a braai or on the wall. So I really want to know if that was the true story or was there maybe a back story to that? I can't really remember when this was but I think truth there's yes I remember but you see this has happened to me twice so I need to remember which one it was so the one time I walked into a window an open window I don't know I don't think that was this time though because that was when I was in Mozambique which obviously has its reasons for that happening I honestly just I just fell.

I fell in the house and hit my face on the ground. Okay. I think that's what happened. We had two Jack Russells and I was walking down the aisle. Kirsten, I think Kirsten was still there with us.

And I fell and I hit my face on the ground. Okay, I'm glad we could clear that up because I always... So as I got to know you better this story got more and more sus and I like nah she didn tell me the whole story so meeting you first super easy going easy to talk to um a lot of jokes and banter no one safe like and i think that's the rugby environment in general like no one's safe in in the safest way like you will always someone will always make a joke out of you or there will always be some banter and that's the first feeling I got from you. But also just, yeah, very easy, easy to talk to, not intimidating, which other people will disagree with me, but not intimidating. Maybe you wanted me to stay in rugby, so you were very welcoming.

Yes, I wanted a friend. I really just needed a friend. And besides netball, what was your first impression of you? This netball girl. So first time I met you, I thought, this girl's built for rugby.

And that's why I reeled you in. Like this girl looks she can already catch a ball. I know she can catch a ball. She plays netball obviously. So we got that down The passing we could work on that.

I mean she can throw a ball so I Feel like we can hone those skills slightly into you know the passing That obviously happened very naturally for you the tackling though. Oh yeah, that that was a couple of years of struggles Mmm. Yeah, still a work in progress, but check me this year Run in my channel, please. We'll see. I personally have no need to run there.

Okay. But if it does happen, don't come up with me. No, don't hold back. Okay. Don't hold back.

Okay, you heard it. And I think a very cool story actually is like, I think it was, maybe, I've played my first tournament, so it was maybe a month and a half into rugby. I had a little accident. And I think that's where the friendship was solidified. Definitely, because I had to phone your mom, who I don't think I'd met at that point.

So I phoned her trying to be very proper Afrikaans, because I know, you know, strict Afrikaans lady from Pulapuane. I need to just, don't want her to stress. But when I saw the state of your face, I was panicking inside. So I phoned your mom very calmly, just told her, listen, we're at the hospital. No need to stress, no need to stress.

She was stressing. she was stressing and needless to say she was at the hospital in like an hour yeah i was yeah i got out of surgery and um they as they wheeled me out i saw my mother's face and i didn't know if i'm in heaven or is this now reality but yeah i split my lip open like how did you elaborate on the exact moment it wasn't even contact you know it wasn't contact we were but i was very committed working on my tackling skills as you should yes um body check and just bad positioning girls uh head hit my lip and it just split open but i wasn't i wasn't panicked it was bad i um just went to there was a doctor there and he just put a blast on and i said to her no let's just we can go home it's fine like and what did you say what doctor was there no man those guys were training Yes. Their doctor, their team doctor. Yes. And then I came to you with my sweat towel.

Yes. And I was like, just put this on your face. We need to go to the hospital. Yes. And I said, no need for the hospital.

No, we're fine. I'm fine. I'm like, you are not fine, girl. We are going to the hospital. I think your exact words were, I saw your tooth through your lip.

Yes. And I was like, okay. Still didn't believe you until the moment the doctor opened up that thing and I felt my lip go, and I'm like, I think we should stay here. Yes, yes. Needless to say you did spend, did you spend the night?

You were in the hospital for very long. I had to bring you pajamas and luckily your mom came so she could off-law smear bits. So that, I think that was for me the moment, like the friendship was like, okay, no, this is for real. I couldn't just let you bleed out. Testing, testing one, two, and you passed the test with flying colors, by the way.

I did buy you. Did buy you a new towel to say sorry about. Yes, that one was ruined. But since then we've been. Yeah, it's been a wild ride.

Been a wild ride. We completed our studies. Do you remember during COVID time when we were training illegally? I don't know if you're allowed to say that now. Yes.

I mean, now it's a joke, right? Yes. And without knowing, we were training for 15s while playing 7s. And we were like, why are we doing breakdowns? We don't really have breakdowns in sevens.

And then a few months later, we started playing 15s. And it was scary. Do you remember when we were doing our warm-up on that field and we were jogging, saying, ha-ha, imagine if we go to the World Cup. Lol. That was a running joke all the time.

That was a running joke because we thought we would never play 15s. I was convinced I would never play 15s. and to be honest with you back then there wasn't a future in in 15s the sevens a little bit but i mean even that was just a dream you would play it for a bit and you'd go back to a normal job you know living your life so it was always just a dream something that we would we're gonna do for fun and then we got roped into the 15s thing and when i think about that first game i vividly remember it was raining we jogged out and i looked at you and i was like we've never played 80 minutes ever i'm playing flower i don't know don't know what i'm doing didn't know at all what i was doing now now that i know what a flower should be doing that wasn't me and we were playing the reigning champs our first game champs we're just going out there weeing it and um yeah we didn't win but I slotted my first job goal in that game. And that became a thing. And that became a thing.

Every game we were like, okay, we're going to do this, whether we're in front or... And that became a thing. And yeah, that was, it wasn't a pretty kick, but I mean, what is it? Binter's binter. Binter's binter.

It happened and it worked. And what's the difference that you find between 7s and 15s? What made you stay and fall in love with 15s? I think if you had to ask me in the beginning of my springboard career the answer might have been a little bit different just because sevens was my my big purpose I felt training wise I was doing everything for sevens to play sevens I enjoyed the speed intensity of the game and then 2016 sevens got included in the Olympics and that was like in my head I was like this is gonna be my eggs are in this basket let's go obviously i was in and out of the seven system nothing really happened so i was like well i guess i guess it's time to just be a normal person and then we found ourselves on that very sketchy field in the rain playing 15s and that just sort of took off and you know the the priority sort of shifted to the 15s but i think just seeing for the time that i've played sevens versus the time that I've played 15 it's approximately the same time but the growth in 15 women's rugby in South Africa has been astronomical over the last few years I mean we've all known about I've known about the women's seven seem a lot longer than the 15th team and if you consider how long they've been on my map and I'm sure many others you would expect you know an increase somewhere along the line which unfortunately has just been so slow and I think now for me the sevens the 15 is not there and it's just a better return on investment you're putting your money your body through so much you're training every day the training in sevens is ridiculous might i just add like you need to be a little bit crazy in the head to do that and to think it's fun and then you're only playing for 14 minutes so you're training a lot of hours for a little bit of game time um but i think as i got older i just started to realize well that is a lot of hard work and i don't think my body would be able to last as long as it has if i had just played 15s at such at sevens at such a competitive level um i think 15s has given me so much more opportunities you know opportunities sponsorship wise opportunity opportunities to playing two world cups you know those kind of things so i think for me now look if the call up happens and the seven say hey let's go you know you're always going to be that person that does it for your country but if i had the opportunity to choose i would prefer to put all my focus onto 15s it's also a lot of different skills that you have with both games different you know seven you have to pass follow to go clean with 15s you don't have to do that so shifting to and from the two codes it gets a little bit confusing to you at some point as well like you don't know should should i be focusing on drop kicking to polls because that's what i'm doing in seven should i now be focusing on place kicking so just to sort of give yourself something more solid to focus on on like I can I'm the kicker so I place kick or I'm the kicker in sevens I need a drop kick you know knowing what to train what to prep yourself for oh can we get a bit deeper and seeing as we said we're going to talk about experiences maybe just touch on on your sevens journey um yeah I know the there is a lot of emotions behind that there's been a lot of disappointment there's also been a lot of success and triumphs olympics all of that but um touch touch on that how you the setbacks and and the breakthroughs look i think like you said there's there's a lot of it was a roller coaster ride honestly the sevens was all over the place for me um if i look at my sevens career before become before getting my first cap i traveled the world playing with tux you know we used to travel overseas four or five times playing in different tournaments there's so many tournaments that we've played overseas that we've won that i've won you know the accolades of play of the tournament all this stuff but somehow it just never never i don't know if it didn't reach the right people you know you'll never really know what happened there um back at that time we also had interprovincial sevens which i think is a massive loss for our country not to have that anymore because that was such a good pathway for seven specific girls to come through and it was a massive drawl you know the men and the women are playing and it's lots of fun and after that every year they'd select a couple of players and you'd go to springbok camp and train and whatever and i was in those i was in and out in and out still nothing nothing i was like okay well obviously me being the person that i am i'm thinking okay well i need to be faster i need to be stronger i need to be better i need to not be so i want to say fat but you know back especially back then you your body composition, it's still important now in the team, but I think the way it was approached and handled back then was a lot more like, listen, you need to lose weight. And I was like well I don understand I 19 I so skinny What do you want me to do actually So I think that journey eventually sort of started putting a bad taste in my mouth towards sevens And then you know Sevens was an Olympic sport and I was like oh my gosh what can I do to get myself there What can I do to get myself there?

I started researching my heritage to see if I somewhere, somehow could qualify for a passport of a different country. Because I felt like I was good enough to represent my country at the best level, but it just never happened in South Africa. So it was very frustrating for me. Obviously, that didn't happen because I'm a 100% burki, unfortunately. Unfortunately.

I mean, fortunately. Yeah. Fortunately now. But, you know, it was a struggle. And I think, yo, it took a lot of work, a lot of, you know, doubting yourself.

Why am I doing this really? I did have the motivation back then of doing it to study. So I think if I didn't have that, I would have probably stopped playing a lot sooner. Because I know, you know, I'm studying on a bursary, playing a tux. it's still fun it's vibey you're not made you're not surviving off of that yeah it's not something that you need to survive it's just something that i do for fun so it was quite a journey and i think the most frustrating thing for me we also did the show becoming in bucordo where they promoted they're going to do this world nationwide search for the next spring box and i'm like well once again i don't understand how you haven't seen me or don't know who i am but it's fine i'll enter this thing entered this thing, went through the whole process, ended up in the end, the last man standing, done the job.

The deal was you'd play Capes on Sevens, the winner of the show. It didn't happen. So there was a lot of unnecessary disappointments, I think, a lot of promises that were broken, a lot of things that were presented to us. And as soon as the 15th kicked off, and I think personally my career just skyrocketed from the 15th. It was just interesting to see then that the sevens came knocking to my door, you know what I'm saying?

Like why now? Obviously I have all these questions, why now? Why didn't they do it then? I don't know, maybe they felt I wasn't ready. You'll never know.

Maybe I wasn't ready. Who would have known? Yeah, but I think that's such an important part of your journey because that's taught you so many lessons and yes, it's years of disappointment, but that led you to to the success and to how you deal with the success now and also how you are able to speak to people that's maybe going through the same setback, the same disappointment, same feelings that you have because speaking from something you haven't lived is not the same as speaking out of experience and giving advice out of that experience. No, definitely. And I think it's something that can inspire others as well.

I think a lot of times people look at us and they think, oh, must have been so nice, you know, just being selected and then, you know, now you're Springbok and now you're traveling the world. But it isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It's really tough. There are very few players who land with their butt in the butter. It's very, very few.

And I think, especially with today's generation, they need to realize that you really, really have to work hard for something. There's a small percentage of people that really get lucky. The others get lucky by working hard and consistently. and taking all of the no's and refusing to give up and waking up every morning and going to the gym in spite of the fact that you aren't even in the team. But still, you're waking up, you're doing the extra reps, you're getting to the field, all of those things.

No one sees it, but one day when you make it, they're going to be like, oh, she's so lucky. No, she's not lucky. She worked her freaking ass off to get her. And it's important to know that even if you get a bunch of no's, it doesn't mean there won't be a yes. Exactly.

It's just a yes pending to happen. So a bunch of no's mustn't be the reason that you stop or mustn't hold you back to still chase those dreams and still chase them even harder. No, definitely. I mean, imagine if I gave up playing rugby after I studied. All of these amazing opportunities that I've got now, I would have never lived.

I would have never gone to two World Cups. I would have never gone to the Olympics then. And I mean, that was actually the main reason and the main goal back then. Goals changed slightly along the way. But I mean, now I've done that, I've ticked that box.

Nothing would have happened. I probably wouldn't have met you. I don't know if that's a blessing or a case. And that Olympics was just delayed. You actually dodged a few disappointments because our women qualified for the previous Olympics already but didn't go.

But you kind of dodged that through getting no's from the sevens, moving on with your life. And then when the yes came for everyone, you also got your yes. So definitely, I mean, to then go through those disappointments, you know, after you've been constantly broken down. No, no, no. To then have made the team.

And then again, I don't know. I don't know if I could have taken more of that on, like you say, everything, everything worked out well in the end. And I'm so fortunate, actually, I am a little bit lucky. But like I say, it is, it is definitely a lot of hard work as well. Yeah, a combination of luck and hard work.

Like I think both of our careers is a bit of both. A bit more hard work, but you need luck on your side as well. You need that one miracle yes. But you're only going to get lucky if you keep doing it. Exactly.

Luck doesn't happen once. You don't win the lots of the first time. You've got to keep playing. We don't encourage gambling on this podcast. Although I could do with a million.

We encourage drinking, Alfie221, but we don't encourage gambling. Tell me, Ramandi, your journey through the rugby realm into Springbok, first cap, I mean, I was obviously there with you all the way, into the highs, into the lows, and it's been quite a journey. And I don't think your journey is quite over yet. How do you balance the dynamics of coming from such a high? We said we wanted to go to the World Cup.

We said we wanted to be Springboks. We did that. And then it's like all of a sudden in the space of, I don't know, two days, your whole world came crashing down. That's such a good description. That's, yeah, that's a good way of putting it.

Yeah, so I got a bit of that luck that we spoke about in the beginning of my career. Everything fell into place very nicely. I think yeah within my first season within our first season of playing 15s we got called up to the Springboks and just in time for that World Cup like literally in the same year that World Cup would happen we got called up and everything just happened so quickly that it was almost like I couldn't take it in because it was like it was almost a dream and it was a dream that came true everything happened quickly got into the team got into the preparation everything i think i played like man it's between six and eight games for the springbox in the jersey before i got my first cap actually but that's just the patience part of it um coming to play but yeah i got my first cap right before the turn or the or the tour before the world cup went to new zealand world cup amazing experience like life-changing experience so there's that high then got back from the world cup there was talks of uh women's 15s being professionalized and that got us really excited and we really pushed for that we were speaking about that the whole time we were yeah really really motivated by that and that happened we were part of the first professional 15s team in south africa um won two premier league titles with them and then I felt like everything was just going so well and we were preparing for the next World Cup. We had dreams, we had goals, we had massive dreams for that World Cup. Really bought into that.

Everything, my wallpaper was the World Cup trophy. I think it still is but World Cup trophy was writing goals down, had World Cup trophies printed out everywhere in all my books, everything working towards that and then two days after the final of the Premier League got called in and which I thought was a contract negotiation just saying okay listen this is happening this is happening turned out to be a contract cancellation or yeah I was jobless so two days after winning our second title, found out that they weren't going to renew my contract. And you were the starting scrum off at the time. Yes, yes. I was the starting scrum off.

I was part of leadership. So there weren't any signs. Or maybe I didn't see the signs. You know, when you're in that moment, when you're working towards these goals, it's easy for life to happen without you noticing it. So maybe there were signs, but no clear signs to me.

Yeah, within two days, everything fell apart, lost my contract and didn't know where to go. Rugby was my life. It was my job. It was my income. It was my day to day.

All my dreams, all my goals were built around that. So, yeah, I had to figure it out. I had to figure out what I'm going to do the next year to have an income to am I still going to play rugby? Is this now still my dream? do I still want to push or is this the door closing on me is this how far I'm going to go and finish it there so started hustling gave myself a few weeks I know the rule is a day but gave myself a few weeks to feel sorry for myself and then started hustling and looking for next opportunities praying a lot about if this is still my journey and whether I should maybe give it another go give rugby like stay in rugby and decided to stay in rugby got a massive great opportunity with the lions they really came out of nowhere and and made it possible for me to still play still chase that dream but also have an income which is massive and then i was still sulking to be so honest with you um yeah it's it's difficult to get out of that hole when you're it feels like your whole world collapses on you, it's difficult to get out of that space and try and see the silver linings and see the new opportunities.

But I think as I settled into a new role, having a job, still playing, it became reality. So I had to deal with it a bit more. And then we had a coaching change at the Springboks, which came with more setbacks. So I wasn included in the World Cup squad and wasn in the plans clearly weren in the plans So I had to deal with that again Just when I felt like I was getting out of one hole I sunk into another one But yeah, just had to fight through that. And I think my bags were still packed.

Like until I think it was two, no, a month and a half before World Cup, I decided, okay, listen, I'm really not going to get this call up. I'm really not in their plans. and I unpacked my bag into drawers and stuff. And I think that was a moment where I realized, okay, let's, we have to move on now. Like, we can't be in this hole the whole time.

So, worked through that feelings, took a long time. Went to the World Cup to come and support you guys. Yeah, look, now you went to the World Cup after sulking about not going to the World Cup. Now you're going there, like you've just healed from these wounds. what better way to rip the band-aid off than to go to the place where you wanted to be the one on the field playing your heart out representing your country and now you're finding yourselves in the stands how was that how is that different compared to if you look at being a spectator versus playing your first world cup what are the major differences that you saw there i saw so many things um from behind the scenes like that opened my eyes to what we miss as players like how we just get stuck into our world and forget that there's so many volunteers working day in and day out to make that one match day perfect.

How many things go into making that one match happen? We get so stuck into training, captains runs, kicking, whatever, game planning, that we miss that part. So that was super special and super cool to see what happens behind the scenes, how excited they get about their job. they also prepare the whole week like we do when we play to get that day perfect for us because without them there won't be broadcasts, there won't be enough balls, there won't be national anthems, all those things so that was super super special but I think it really was a test of character to go there and smile when you see us and be friendly because you know there's someone that's taken your spot. Exactly.

Someone that's taken your spots and now you have to be the bigger person and support the people that actually did you dirty. You know what I'm saying? I hear you, but what I reminded myself of so often is the players are still my family. Like, those girls are still my sisters. Whatever happened behind the scenes and bigger and higher ups, like, yes, I can feel miffy with them.

I can feel let down by them. But, like, the 23 on that field is still my sisters. We still went through all that we went through leading up to that World Cup. All of my goals and dreams were also theirs. Like, we all dreamt as a squad towards that World Cup.

So I think that's the mind shift I made is, like, I am there to support my family. Like, the other things, I faked a smile and said, hi, what's up. But for you guys, it was special to see that it's still our dream. And just because I'm not an instrumental part of that dream, I contributed to that dream. And you guys just made that dream happen.

And that was what's special. To see you guys on that stage performing the way you did, it was still like I was part of you guys. I think the biggest thing is just it's not about us. It's not about you. It's not about me.

you know as individuals we all have our glories and our setbacks and things but in the end like you say now it's not about you it's not about me it's about what the squad is achieving and the history that the squad that went to this world cup made whether you are now instrumental part in that like you say or not we still did something great you were part of the build-up towards that every person before you for how many years before us were actually parts of the journey to get us No, exactly. And it's not only that moment. It's what that moment has done for the future of women's rugby. Like that's also part of me that made me celebrate that moment so much more is like, yes, this is a massive moment. It's, it's one of the, it's the biggest moment in Springbok women's 15s ever.

But what's going to come from this is going to be so much bigger than this actual moment. So that's what got me excited. And the realization of I still have a chance to be part of what this moment is going to create. Exactly. Exactly.

Okay, Ramani, moving swiftly along. Fun part. Let's do some games. Okay. Blind, actually not blind rates, blind rank, the following sport situations.

Okay. So number one being the worst and number five being the least. Okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. So we're going to go number one on the rugby field for getting your boots. I'll rank that at number five just because. That's the least bad. Yeah.

Hear me out. I would love to hear you out. What are you going to do with those shoes? You always pack two shoes Two pairs I haven't done that in so long Because you don't go with me anymore I don't need to pack two boots I've never I've never I've never Disclaimer I've never forgotten anything But my gum guard Anyways There's always someone With extra pair of boots Okay now Let's rank that number three Because you're not necessarily Going to fit in their boots No So there will always be An extra pair Or I know Tandi Will drive back to the hotel To get my boots She is a very good manager Tandi is the girl Okay, next one. Getting the kickoff times wrong.

Oh, that's number one. That's number one. We never got it wrong. But imagine now, you think we're playing at three. Yeah.

Next moment, we're playing at 12. That is number one. We never got it wrong, but they have changed our kickoff time, which led to like five minutes of warm-up, one minute of getting into the kit, and next moment you knew you were on the field playing. So that's number one. That's the worst thing that could possibly happen.

Next one, sun burning your middle pulse. Oh. That feels personal. That feels so personal. I burned my pulse last weekend.

I mean, in a rugby sense, that's probably a five because it won't affect me in the game. Just play. I can play, but man, that's a baddie. Washing that off to it and brushing your hair is... And you feel it for the whole week.

And then next moment, the skin is peeling. No, it's horrible. Okay, then. Hair malfunction. Mid-game.

Braids coming out. It's hair all over. For the back line, I think that's a big problem. You know, we have to look good. Yeah, of course.

We have to look good. Let's rank him number four. We can still play. But, yo, and I'm pretty sure you'll have memes about you. You will never hear the end of it.

you'll get recognition yes maybe you'll get a sponsor sponsor scrunchies you never know okay last one being subbed 10 minutes into the game well you only have number two that's number two but can i tell you what's worse than being sub 10 minutes oh subbed off subbed off in no off oh you've just walked you know you've just I'm not even touched the ball yet, you know, you're still just getting the feel of things. Do you want to talk about it? You don't have to talk. It was 20 minutes. Do you want to talk about it?

You shouldn't, we might get cancelled. I got subbed in with three minutes to go, if that makes you feel better. I don't know which is worse. Let's talk about that. Closing the sports...

Bulletin. Let's talk about that. What is worse? being subbed on when the game is practically over that's also happened to me i think i got subbed on it was like maybe 30 seconds left of the game in fact or being subbed off i was 20 minutes on but let's say 10 minutes into the game gets up what do you think is worse i think because it's a lived experience i'll say sub get subbed in with like three minutes to go or 30 seconds like and so you didn't trust me for 18 minutes now you trust me and we were like head on head in that game so it was like make or break so now i miss it one tackle and they score it didn't happen it didn't happen but i missed this one tackle they score and i'm the bad guy but i've only just arrived just got you i just arrived whereas the other side of it getting sub of 10 minutes now you have 70 minutes to think about what you did wrong why why and you know honestly like 10 minutes into a game you actually you're still sussing it like you're still feeling feeling the game you're not you're not actually you know you're still finding your feet like you know it is what it is sub 20 minutes in and i don't know who was more upset me or the the people at home who woke up so early because we were playing in New Zealand. So the time of that game was probably like two in the morning.

People woke up to watch me play 20 minutes. They hadn't even finished their coffee yet when I got subbed. Those are the troopers. And here I see you guys. It's both really, really bad.

But we signed up for it. Like what I keep telling myself when my body's aching, when I go through these emotional roller coasters, I'm like, we keep doing this. Like we keep choosing to show up to do this. We could just be in corporate. I mean, there's air con there, but that's about all that's nice.

So we've chosen this life and now we've chosen to share this life with you. Yes. If you want to come for us, come for us. We'll take any questions and comments, I guess, on the chin. We've had bad things thrown at us.

You can't hurt us. But thank you for tuning in. Thank you for listening to us blabber about our life and our things. It's going to get more exciting. It's going to get more to the point.

It's going to get funnier, better, bigger. This is just a trial run. Let us know what you think. Libby out. Thank you.

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