As she sat in the iconic Salle des Étoiles in Monaco in November last year and looked around at the who’s who of the rugby world, Springbok women wing Nomawethu Mabenge felt a massive surge of pride.
Not only because she shared a World Rugby Awards invite with Lukhanyo Am whose presence brought calm to the shy and soft-spoken Mabenge on her first solo trip abroad.
“I looked around the room and saw so many of the stars in rugby and then realised what a massive year it was for me as well as our Springbok Women in 2022.”
The 26-year-old’s try in the second Test against Spain in Potchefstroom on 12 August earned her a nomination in the International Rugby Players Women’s Try of the Year category, eventually won by England’s Abby Dow for her five pointer against Canada at the Rugby World Cup.
“Yes, it is my job to score tries and I am pleased to do so, but my team also deserved credit for putting me in positions to do so,” said the Nelson Mandela Bay-raised player, who represents the EP Queens in the Women’s Premier Division.
“One of the first instructions was six weeks rest after the injury, so at least I could enjoy the travel to the awards and a break during the festive season,” said Mabenge at the team hotel in Cape Town.
“But I am ready now to start my return to play protocols. I have complete trust in our medical team, and I know that I will be back on the field as soon as they are happy.”
The evening in the Mediterranean city also resulted in an important chat with Am, who was nominated for the World Player of the Year Award.
“He explained how he is using rugby as a platform to do other things as well and it made me realise that I need to do the same,” she said. “There I sat, with an injury, and his words alerted me to the fact that I need something else besides rugby too.”
Mabenge acted on that advice and enrolled in an engineering course, but she feels she might end up in the nursing profession.
“From a personal perspective, I managed to become a starter [in the team] and I scored some important tries, which was a reward for the hard work by the squad as well.” – SARugby.co.za
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