From multi-sport talent to Bok Sevens call-up: Owami Mohuli’s rapid rise to Hong Kong stage

Owami Mohuli’s sporting journey has never followed a straight line. Netball, soccer, hockey and athletics all came first. Rugby, by her own admission, arrived late – but has already taken over her life.

Now, just a year after picking up the sport at university level, the 19-year-old from KZN is on the verge of her Springbok Women’s Sevens debut at the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Hong Kong, a rapid rise that still feels slightly surreal. Jane Mulder – the 20-year-old daughter of Bok midfield legend Japie Mulder – is also in line to make her debut at the Kai Tak Sports Park this weekend. 

“I played netball, soccer, hockey. I did athletics as well in high school,” Mohuli said. “Then I stopped when I came for first year in university. In my first year I was recruited for netball and got a bursary, but after that I decided to join rugby the following year – that was last year.”

From there, things escalated quickly. A stint with Free State University rugby led to selection for the Under-20 Cheetahs, then an invitation to the SA Rugby EPD camp for Under-19 players late last year. a call-up into senior pathways, and now a place in the national sevens squad for one of the sport’s most high-profile tournaments.

“Last year I met most of the players and thought, wow, I could never see myself at this level. And now I’m here,” she said.

A wing in 15s, Mohuli has found sevens rugby a perfect fit for her all-action game.

“You have to be everywhere,” she said. “At one ruck you could be scrumhalf, the next wing, then you’re cleaning again. You need to do everything – attack, defence, running support lines – nothing is separate.”

That relentless involvement is exactly what has accelerated her development.

Springbok Women’s Sevens captain Ayanda Malinga said the squad understands both the opportunity and the responsibility that comes with the Hong Kong tournament, especially with several senior players unavailable, including injured captain Nadine Roos.

The tournament is the first of three stops in the World Championship series that will determine the eight teams that will make up the first division next year. The South Africans were among the four teams that qualified for the championship from Division 2, joining eight teams from Division 1.

“We have a massive opportunity in Hong Kong,” Malinga said. “It’s not only a physical adjustment but a mental one as well with the players we’ve lost, but we’ve adapted well.”

Malinga, who takes over the captaincy from Roos, said younger players like Mohuli are stepping into a high-pressure environment with clear intent.

“It will be up to the senior players to show we can overcome those losses,” she said. “But this is also a chance for others to step up.”

For Mohuli, the absence of Roos – one of South Africa’s most influential players and her personal sporting idol – will be felt, but is also motivating.

“I do look up to Nadine Roos a lot,” she said. “It was a dream of mine to play in the same setup as her. She might not be here this weekend, but we are here because of her and what she’s done for the team. We want to make her proud.”

With Australia and Canada awaiting in the pool stages, South Africa enter as underdogs. But Mohuli’s rapid rise reflects a squad embracing opportunity rather than reputation.