Ubisi Eager to Deliver Positive Response

Saturday’s first Test on South African soil between the Springbok Women and the Black Ferns of New Zealand will be memorable in many ways and promises to be a wonderful example of how far the women’s game – especially at home – has come in recent years, but it will also provide a peek into the future.

Another exciting prospect of the weekend’s match is seeing some of the best female players in the world in action, and Vainah Ubisi is determined to prove that her name can be mentioned in the same breath.

The 23-year-old Springbok Women lock, who was introduced to rugby in the Youth Training Centres of Limpopo as a teenager, has played in 26 Tests since making her debut at the age of 20 in 2023, and she is already rated amongst the very best to have worn the green and gold.

Since her debut against Spain in Madrid, Ubisi made every selection count, delivering several outstanding performances and quickly establishing herself in the national side, playing in 18 consecutive Tests in 2023 and 2024.

Sadly, a knee injury in 2025 almost cost her a first Women’s Rugby World Cup opportunity, but it also severely hampered her preparation for the international showpiece.

In the end, Ubisi did make it to England for what is most likely the first of a number of World Cups, but her contribution was not as impactful, as she played off the bench in three matches, including the quarter-final against the Black Ferns.

By the time she took the field as a replacement in that match, the Black Ferns were cruising towards a win.

“It was frustrating to go to the World Cup not having played much rugby and trying to catch up, so that experience was not the greatest for me,” Ubisi admitted as the team fine-tuned their preparations for Saturday’s clash at St. John’s College in Houghton.

This year, Ubisi is back to full fitness and she quickly proved why she is rated as the best No 4 lock in the country, first with some really strong performances in the Pick n Pay Women’s Super League 1, and then in the four internationals she played, first against the USA Eagles and then Fiji.

She scored a try in the big win over the USA in Johannesburg as well as in both Tests on the recent tour of Fiji, with all the tries coming at crucial moments in those games.

“Feeling strong and confident in my abilities also helps me in my game management,” she said.

“I am not waiting for something to happen; I see it as my job at lock to make this happen. We are the engine room after all.

“I am happy with where I am at with regards to my form, my physicality and my growth as an international lock and it is going to be great to be tested against by the Black Ferns. At the World Cup, they did not see the best of me.

“My Black Ferns experience was not the greatest, but now less than a year later, I can redeem that. I almost feel I will meet them at my terms this time around, if you understand what I mean.

“I am confident in my current form, they are coming to face us on our home soil and we face off in the biggest stadium in the country. What more can one ask for?”