Aseza Hele's rise drives South Africa into first Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final
From a late start in rugby to World Cup tries and a jersey swap that moved a young fan, Hele embodies South Africa's breakthrough
Aseza Hele's late start in rugby and rapid rise to international prominence helped South Africa reach the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-finals for the first time, setting up a meeting with tournament favourites New Zealand.
Hele, a 30-year-old number eight from the Eastern Cape, scored a hat-trick against Brazil and added a try in the 29-24 victory over Italy that secured South Africa's place in the last eight. Her performances have made her one of the tournament's breakout stars and a focal point for a team that has long operated with fewer resources than the men's side.
Hele described a poignant moment after the team's final pool match in Northampton, when an English boy asked to swap jerseys. "Please, can my son swap jerseys with you? He speaks so highly of you, and it would be his dream," she recalled. Hele kept her shirt for him, met him at the gate and said the encounter "warmed my heart", bringing her to tears and underscoring how far both she and South African women's rugby have travelled.
Raised by her grandmother in Port Elizabeth, the same neighbourhood that produced Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, Hele only began playing rugby in 2014 after attending a training session to maintain fitness for netball. An injury to a teammate left a vacancy and she was told simply to "just go forward". Five years later she won her first Springbok cap, and she made her first World Cup appearance in 2022.
"Rugby has changed my life," Hele said. "I am the person I am today because of where I came from and the choices I made. Now, I'm able to feed my family because of rugby. I have my car because of rugby. My first flight was because of rugby. I didn't even dream of this, and now I'm playing with the big dogs, and I am the underdog."
South Africa, ranked 10th in the world, will face four-time world champions New Zealand at Sandy Park in Exeter on Saturday. The Black Ferns enter the game after a 40-0 win over Ireland and are aiming for a third consecutive World Cup title, making South Africa heavy underdogs.
Despite the gulf in resources and player pool compared with the men's game, South Africa's women have benefited from visible support by Kolisi, who has attended matches and training sessions and used his profile to encourage broader backing for the women's programme. Hele praised Kolisi's involvement, saying: "He's the warmest and nicest person ever. He cares about us and wants us to have what they have. What he has, he likes to share. He's sharing the love from his family with us so we can do well."
A historic win over Italy in York — a result that defied pre-tournament seedings — signalled the team's progress and fed belief within the squad. Hele said the team's primary aim had been to reach the quarter-finals and that achieving that objective had made the players proud.
Hele, who previously worked as a cashier, said the team's status as underdogs was not a deterrent. "They are the big dogs, and we are the underdogs. Anything can happen. A miracle can happen," she said. The upcoming quarter-final will test whether South Africa's recent momentum and Hele's form can overcome the experience and depth of the reigning champions.