'I shouldn't be wasting it': Why Nomsa Mokwai balances rugby with full-time nursing

Nomsa Mokwai is currently taking unpaid leave from her job as an emergency room nurse to play for South Africa in a two-Test series in Fiji.

Mokwai, who starred in the Springboks’ 55-12 win over Fiji last Saturday and will start again this weekend, is used to juggling her full-time job with rugby.

She works 12-hour shifts, usually at night, as a nurse before carrying out her rugby training in the day. It is a lot to balance but the 33-year-old sees playing rugby as a gift.

“I believe it is a god given talent, I shouldn’t be wasting it,” Mokwai said. “I should pursue both if I can. For me what [motivates] me is knowing why you are doing it. I believe I am gifted and from the nursing point of view, I look at my patients.

“Some of them are sick and some of them really do want to play sports and they can’t because of the kind of diseases, illnesses or disabilities they have. I play for those kinds of people because I believe that you should make use of the talent you have been given from god.

“Also in rugby there are so many players in South Africa and only a few can represent our national team. I represent, I get to play for those who really can’t and wish to play.”

Mokwai has always wanted to be in a job that helps others. As a child she wanted to be a social worker and that developed into a want to pursue medicine.

She added: “I went to a career day and went to a nursing gazebo. They explained to me what nursing is and it changed my mind, I wanted to be a doctor but I can’t because of how demanding it is. The reason [I wanted to get into medicine] is I love helping people.

“I see people getting better. Seeing people accepting themselves and people taking care of themselves.

“I have an honours degree, I am a professional nurse, so I can work anywhere I want but I am currently in the ED [Emergency Department] because I love the adrenaline.

“I like to think fast in critical situations. I like seeing new things every day, not doing one thing over and over. For me, learning never stops. If I am in ED I get to learn different illnesses and situations.”

Mokwai, who was part of the Springbok squad who reached the quarter-finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup for the first time in 2025, thriving in adrenaline situations translates onto the pitch as well as she has carved herself into the starting team consistently.

The versatile player, who can compete as a lock or a flanker, has shared the key to their win over Fiji last weekend.

“Unity. We just knew that sticking together and fighting for one another will give us the victory. At the beginning of this campaign was unity, you are nothing when you are alone but you can do more with others. I think that is what kept us going and gave us the points that we got.

“We knew the Fijian team is very strong and they are really disruptive at the breakdown so we really had to secure our breakdowns and disrupt theirs.”

South Africa will face Fiji again this Saturday to attempt to win the series before embarking on a match against the Black Ferns and their WXV Global Series fixtures against Wales, Italy and Ireland.

The Springboks are improving with every match and so what are the team trying to achieve over the next few years heading towards Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029 in Australia?

Mokwai said: “We actually want to be in the top four teams in the world and aim to be number one. Everything is possible.

“We have spoken about how we are going to achieve it. We have actually set goals amongst ourselves, even individually. Having to have those introspective chats where you have to just be honest about yourself. Ask yourself ‘do I deserve to be in the team? What would it take for me to remain in the team and be picked?’

“Obviously you need to go home and work hard and just know that the hard work never stops.”