Nadine Roos Wants to Empower the Next Generation of Rugby Players

Nadine Roos is not just the ultimate team player but also the most versatile when it comes to women’s rugby in South Africa. Her recent SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year award is a testament to that fact. Roos, who plays both 7’s and 15’s rugby, captured her second SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year gong, saying that while receiving such an award is an honour and privilege, she wants to focus on the example she is setting. 

“It’s more for me to empower the younger generation, it’s the example I set from the start,” says Roos. “When I am surrounded by them, how you treat them, how you greet them, how you see them, and how you help them, that is very important to me.”

“Whatever I do I always give my full commitment, I always give my 100% on the field and my actions need to speak louder than my words through that, that is how I want to empower the younger generation and other people looking up to me just to set that example out on the field. 

2025 SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year, Nadine Roos

“When you receive awards, and when you achieve, that it just needs to be a reflection of you on the things you do right, it’s on and off the field, and also staying humble when you receive these awards, and not getting ahead of yourselves, think that you are better than anyone else. It’s just the warmth that you get. You always want to leave that jersey in a better and leave a legacy in that jersey. The jersey doesn’t belong to me it belongs to the women’s system, whoever comes next in that jersey must know that I played in that jersey and that was the example that I set.” 

2025 is set to be another groundbreaking year for women’s rugby as the World Cup takes place. The code-switching rugby player is no stranger to being on the big stage for her country in both formats. Roos is well aware of her senior status in the national teams she represents and reiterated that her main focus is to be a role model to those in her team. 

“Being a senior player in the team for me means I must set the example, whether I am with the 7’s or the 15’s making sure in whichever code I am focused in that moment and stay present and give my 100% percent towards the team and ensure that I add value.”

The Springbok Women have been making steady progress since the last Rugby World Cup four years ago. Roos revealed what her team will be looking to achieve in this year’s competition. 

“We have all seen the pool draw, we played Italy at the WXV2 and that is one game we want to win and do well. We have France and then you look at Brazil and they are the underdog team, and we must not underestimate them. For us, we would like to top our pool and want to get to the quarterfinals and I think that if we can get that right and better our position from the previous World Cup that is a goal.”

Roos currently doesn’t play for a provincial so she can focus on both the 7’s and 15’s format of the game, weighed in what she made of the recent Women’s Premier Division final between perennial winners the Bulls Daisies and WP Women.

“Women’s rugby is important in South Africa and looking at the growth of it, so for me, it was just supporting, women in rugby, not looking at the provincial team. From both sides, I believe there was good rugby. 

Roos says that she wasn’t supporting one particular team and believed that pressure was always on the Pretoria side to retain the title. 

“I think, you know, for WP, to have been,17-17 at halftime, it shows that they’re also they’ve grown throughout, the Premier Division and learned from their mistakes. I think to have a halftime score like that, it’s quite a young group as well and at the end of the day, the Bulls are a full-time system, whereas the other provincials aren’t a full-time system. 

“So it’s only fair to say that, the pressure was more on them to win the final because at the end of the day, if they lost the final, it would have been a different thing because then what are you doing? As, a professional setup, with the contracts that they have, sponsorships, it’s a bit different for the other provincial teams.”

While there have been big strides made in the women’s game, like most codes there are still areas that need to be worked on. According to Roos, focusing on the developmental side of things will have a positive knock-on effect when it comes to the senior national teams. 

“I think what can improve for women like me in South Africa, specifically, is starting with, youth development. Starting as a women’s player from a very young age, similar to men, I think just a different style. They don’t have to play, or contact until they get to the university but I think if you look at teams like Australia, some players with, with their touch skills, play a good style of rugby.”

“They identify space, they can do the fundamental things of rugby: catching and passing, and imposing and identifying the space. I feel it’s the same thing. If you can start with touch league or a tag league in schools, for women, I think that will benefit the national teams.”

“It will also allow, more quality players to come through the ranks. Being able to, get that exposure the same as high school boys get like the recruiting of varsities, unions, to get women there,” argues Roos. “I think especially, also, more varsity, universities, can start women’s teams as well.”

“I also feel like not only in varsity, but then also the, the unions, especially the big unions need to get sponsorships on board, to get the women system up and running, within the unions and, and make it equal similar to what the Bulls have been doing.”

The Springbok Women’s Sevens are also trying to re-qualify for the HSBCSevens. We asked Roos, if selected: does she intend to continue playing for both 7s and 15s, or does she see herself focusing more on one of the disciplines?

“In 2021 I played for the Boland’s provincial team, and then from 2022, I was again involved in the 7s and the 15s system and then in 2023, I went to Japan for six months, where often in that time we qualified for the 2023, 2024 Sevens Series.”

“So my focus was much more on the Sevens then, and this coming year, being a World Cup year, is also a crucial year for the Sevens to qualify to get back onto the world circuit. My thought process as a senior player was just that, I want to focus on on being a dual player, but to make sure that I can get the best out of me is, is the obvious focus.”

A lot has been made of the flyhalf’s accolades and performances, a guiding pillar in her life has been her grandmother who has supported the player over the years. Roos says having someone like  who can support you during trying times is truly special.