Exclusive: Springbok Women’s Flyhalf Eloise Webb - ‘We’re Going to the Rugby World Cup to Compete’

Though her role at fly half is a fairly new one for the Springbok women, Eloise Webb has been meticulous in her preparation for the upcoming Rugby World Cup (RWC) starting in England next week.

South Africa open their Group D campaign on August 24 against Brazil in Northampton, before matches against Italy (York) on August 31 and France (Northampton) on September 7.

The match against Brazil could prove pivotal for the Bok women, as it will be the only clash they head into as favourites.

Having played most of her career at centre, Bok coach Swys de Bruin has seen Webb as a great attacking threat and therefore decided to move her up to flyhalf to get her closer to the action where she can make a bigger impact.

Staying true to her natural instincts as an attacking player will be vital for Webb.

Webb’s Preparation Strategy for the Rugby World Cup

“I prepare myself physically by knowing our attack plays and defence structure to the best of my ability,” Webb told SportsBoom.co.za in an exclusive interview.

“That is when I can play with confidence and trust my instinct. Mentally I just need to stay in the moment and not get ahead of myself. The Rugby World Cup is a huge tournament, but sometimes we as players make it bigger than it is. Whether it’s a Test match or a World Cup final, your job doesn’t change.”

The 29-year-old began her sporting journey excelling in cricket and javelin, earning her junior national colours in both disciplines.

The switch to rugby, though, proved to be the life-changer for Webb as she first made a name for herself with the Springbok women’s Sevens side, before moving up to the XVs.

The Springbok women, ranked 12th in the world, have had a good build-up to the RWC, hosting world number two Canada in July. Though Canada were comprehensive victors with scorelines of 50-20 and 33-5 in their favour, it was still a good showing for the SA outfit.

The Bok women then lost narrowly (34-26) to the New Zealand Black Ferns in their International Friendly in Cape Town on July 26 before winning the second clash (41-24) a week later, also in the Mother City. 

Confidence Soars After Victory Over New Zealand

The win over the world number three New Zealand certainly buoyed the confidence of South Africa, explained Webb.

“Where we are at the moment, I feel there is no need to slow the game down anymore,” Webb told SportsBoom.co.za. 

“After the last Test that we played against the All Blacks XV, we showed ourselves we are more than capable of playing a high-tempo game. Having said that, different games will require different strategies. I just feel we as a team are in a great space to adapt to anything.”

With 10 Bok women’s caps under her belt now, Webb feels she is much more adept at playing at the highest level, and along with her team’s improved performances of late, it’s given her renewed optimism for the tournament.

“I’m much more mature and confident from when I started playing. My rugby knowledge has grown a lot, so has my understanding of the game. I am super excited to see where we are at against the best teams in the world."

“For me, knowing we are going to this World Cup not just to participate, but to compete, is a great feeling.”