Patience Mokone was hoping that 2025 would bring her some recognition on the rugby fields of South Africa, but she did not quite expect that her pace and try-scoring abilities would bag her green and gold colours in both sevens and fifteens in the space of two months.
But after representing the Springbok Women’s Sevens in tournaments in Krakow in April and Los Angeles in May, the 22-year-old Bulls Daisies wing is now setting her sights on a Test debut in Madagascar next weekend, when the Springbok Women face Uganda in the first of three Rugby Africa Women’s Cup matches in Antananarivo.
Mokone’s first fifteens call-up came in February, when she was invited to a Springbok Women training camp, and after scoring more tries than any other backline player in the Women’s Premier Division this year (13), Mokone was eyeing a national call-up with many of her fellow Bulls Daisies.
That call-up did not come from Bok Women coach Swys de Bruin though, but rather from national sevens coach Renfred Dazel, and what an inspired choice it proved to be.
Mokone scored in her first match for the Bok Women’s Sevens and proudly sang the national anthem as South Africa beat Argentina in the final of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger tournament in Poland.
She then travelled to Los Angeles with the squad, where they played in the HSBC SVNS Play-off tournament at Dignity Health Sports Park.
A week after returning to Pretoria, De Bruin called and now Mokone is getting ready for a possible Test debut as the South African team prepare to defend their African title.
“Yes, it has been a good couple of months for me,” Mokone beamed as the squad went through their paces in Johannesburg, from where they will fly out to Madagascar on Wednesday.
“I was a bit surprised about the sevens call-up to be honest, but not overawed, as I knew that I was well-prepared for any eventual call-up. It was nice to play in the Green and Gold and I am proud of how we played in Krakow and even Los Angeles, although the results did not go our way.
“It certainly made me want more, so now that I am in line to possibly make my debut for the fifteens team is another huge opportunity.”
Mokone represented the Junior Springbok Women in 2022, and that experience just fostered her belief that she will make it into the senior national team: “I was drafted into the Bulls Daisies set-up in 2023 and that has laid a good foundation. I was playing and training with internationals like Zintle Mpupha and Ayanda Malinga and they helped me a lot.
“The last two seasons with the Daisies made me realise that I could play with these international players, but I was in no rush even as some of my 2022 teammates were called up into the senior team, just improving myself as a player at every opportunity.”
Mokone is hard to miss on the rugby field with her colourful hair extensions becoming a trademark. She will travel to Madagascar with bright orange braids, but the colour has no particular significance: “I love the blue extensions when I play for the Daisies and even white ones, but I also don’t mind bright colours, as it makes me feel energetic.
“For this trip, I just walked into the braid shop and orange was available, so I went for it,” she laughed.
The opportunity to potentially earn a first cap next Saturday would mean the world to her she said: “Even if I don’t play in that game, I will support those who are selected. We are very proud to represent our country and our families and will also play for each other. And that is what it is all about.”
Springbok Women fixtures (SA times, all matches at Stade Makis, Antananarivo):
- 7 June at 12h00: Uganda
- 11 June at 12h00: Kenya
- 15 June at 14h00: Madagascar
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