When South Africa’s women begin their Rugby World Cup campaign against France on Saturday, the hope is the side can belie their underdog status and progress into the knockout stages for the first time.

Yet, now ranked at an all-time high of 11th in the world following victories over Japan and two consecutive home triumphs over Spain, the Springboks believe they are a much-improved team since that drubbing.

South Africa have won three and lost 12 games at the World Cup, finishing 12th on their debut in 2006 before consecutive 10th-placed finishes in 2010 and 2014.

But such were their performances last time at the finals, the country did not even enter qualifiers for the 2017 edition in Ireland in a build to rebuild the squad.

“We’re aiming to be competitive and lift the standard, so going to the World Cup we want to improve on the previous results,” flanker Lusanda Dumke told BBC Sport Africa before the team’s departure to New Zealand.

“Our group is very tough but we believe anything and everything is possible. Going there, the first thing we want to do is to show them that we are here, that they must feel us.

“Playing at the World Cup is something I am looking forward to. It’s something I think we can get so much experience from and we want to enjoy ourselves.”

South Africa will be making their fourth appearance at the World Cup and the task ahead shapes up as a massive mountain to scale as debutants Fiji and top-ranked England, unbeaten in their last 25 games, lie in wait after France on the following two Sundays.

“It will be very difficult to win against those three teams but our aim is to get out of the pool and to score seven points, which we do think is possible,” Lynne Cantwell, SA Rugby’s high performance manager for women, told BBC Sport Africa.

“We know we’re going to be up against it but we feel like the girls definitely are capable of it,” added the former Ireland centre, who won a record 86 consecutive caps over 13 years and has the experience of having played in four World Cups.

Tuning down a free car and Kolisi’s influence

Dumke was a late arrival on the rugby scene, only starting to play the game at the age of 15 after moving from the Transkei to East London, over 100km away, shortly after the death of her mother three years earlier.

Her father had passed away just 10 days before Dumke was born.

Making the move from netball and athletics, she says, to rugby ended up being a life-changing decision.

“I’ve never looked back since,” the 26-year-old said.

“Rugby means a lot to me. It means that I can put food on the table, it’s everything to me. It’s a release of whatever stress that I’m going through, it’s where I find my happiness.”

In August, Dumke won a car as prize for being awarded the Eastern Cape province’s 2021 Sportswoman of the Year.

She stunned the organisers by requesting to exchange the car for a house to accommodate her 85-year-old grandmother and partly disabled aunt, 51, who had been looking after her following the death of her mother.

“I stay in an informal settlement in East London, so I thought it wouldn’t make sense for me to drive a car knowing very well the situation back home,” she explained.

“It was a matter of sacrificing my happiness. It’s not that I don’t want a car – I need it – but I believe it’s a great thing to do for my family and for myself as well because safety is everything.

“I don’t think where I stay currently is safe enough for me and my family.”

Dumke plays in the same position, blindside flanker, as Siya Kolisi, who captained the Springboks to the men’s World Cup title in 2019.

The pair have developed a good relationship which has helped Dumke immensely in improving her game, and she is grateful for the help and tips Kolisi has been giving her.

“I have always looked up to Siya – he’s a good guy on and away from the rugby field,” she said.

“I always watch him play and he’s always prepared to give me tips on how to play in the position. I always talk with him whatever I’m going through, in rugby or personal things, and he listens and tries to help wherever he can.”

The success of the South African women’s football team in winning their maiden Africa Cup of Nations title in July has provided a major inspiration for women’s sport in the country, and Dumke believes the rugby team can feed off it.

“The success of Banyana Banyana really shows that women’s sport in South Africa is growing,” she added.

“I’m sure people didn’t see that coming and it really gives hope to us as the Springbok women’s team. What drove Banyana was the belief in themselves and it’s something that drives us as the Springbok women to do well at the World Cup.”