1995 World Cup-winning Springbok centre Japie Mulder admits he never imagined his daughter would follow him onto the rugby field.
At just 19, Jané Mulder recently earned a call-up to the Springbok Women Sevens squad for the Hong Kong Sevens.
Jané only started playing rugby two years ago with Golden Lions Women before earning selection for the Junior Springbok Women’s squad. In 2025, she received a sevens call-up, training with the Springbok Women’s Sevens and featuring for the A side at the Dubai Sevens International Invitational tournament.
“She was 16 when she said she wanted to play rugby,” Japie told Rugby365. “We looked for clubs, but there were none available, so she left it.
“In matric, without telling me, in the afternoons after school, she used to walk over and train with the Wits ladies. She did it for about a month.
“And then after about a month, she came to me and said, ‘I’ve started playing rugby, and I need to play this weekend,’ and just wanted to know if it was OK with me … So yeah, she did it on her own.”
Mulder admitted it took some adjusting.
“It’s still a little bit difficult to comprehend … I do sometimes think, ‘my little girl is going to get hurt,’ but if they are conditioned properly and the programmes are right, injuries can be minimised.
“But as long as she enjoys it, I’ll support her. I’m really proud of what she’s achieved so far.”
Japie believes Jané’s story reflects the growing momentum behind women’s rugby, even if challenges remain in South Africa.
“Most men frown upon women’s rugby … People tend to think it’s a man’s sport,” he said. “But it’s a worldwide thing … and if the effort is there, even the women can reach the level the men are at now.”
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Craig Chalmers/Gallo Images
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