Two uncapped players are set to make their Springbok Women's Sevens debuts at the HSBC SVNS World Championship at the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong this weekend, with 19-year-old Owami Mohuli and 20-year-old Jane Mulder both earning call-ups for a tournament that opens against Australia and Canada on Friday.

Mulder, daughter of 1995 World Cup-winning centre Japie Mulder, came through the Golden Lions Women and Junior Springbok Women structures before receiving her first sevens exposure in November last year, when she was included in the SA 'A' side at the Dubai Sevens International Invitational. She arrives in Hong Kong with a clear self-assessment from that experience.

"Looking back at that tournament, I felt I could have been more assertive in my ball-carrying instead of looking at options out wide all the time," said Mulder, a University of Pretoria student. "I think I can do that better this time around."

Mohuli's route to Hong Kong is more unconventional. The Free State wing played hockey, soccer, netball and athletics at school before a chance encounter with rugby at university changed her trajectory entirely — she had been on the verge of accepting a netball bursary from the University of the Free State before switching codes in her second year. After representing Free State at Under-20 level last year, she was picked up by the SA Rugby EPD programme, went on to feature for the Free State Women in the Pick n Pay Women's Super League this season, and was redirected from an Under-20 camp invitation straight into the national sevens setup.

"I was offered a netball bursary but discovered rugby and I have not stopped since," she said. Mohuli cites Nadine Roos — the injured national sevens captain and SA Rugby Women's Player of the Year — as a key influence, and acknowledges the weight of filling the void her absence creates. "She might not be around this weekend, but we are here because of her and the rest of the team's contributions during the qualifiers. We owe it to her and the rest to be at our very best."

Both players are conscious that strong performances this weekend carry implications beyond the immediate result, potentially opening doors for younger players and influencing South Africa's standing in the SVNS series.

"We certainly are aware what we are playing for and what solid performances in this tournament could mean for the sevens programme and women's rugby as a whole," said Mulder.

South Africa's pool schedule (SA times, live on SuperSport):

  • Friday 17 April: 06h25 vs Australia, 09h12 vs Canada
  • Saturday 18 April: 05h04 vs Great Britain