Yonela Ngxingolo engraved herself in the history books of women's rugby in the country over the weekend, becoming the second player to reach 50 caps for the Springboks.
The first to have walked the path was Nolusindiso Booi from Xesi, just a few kilometres from where Ngxingolo started her career in Mdantsane.
When Ngxingolo came out of the tunnel at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town for the Ireland game and led the team, she went through an emotional roller coaster.
There were many reasons.
The fact that her family, who have been the pillar in her career, could not attend the milestone in the Western Cape as her mother was looking after her ill sibling at home in KuGompo City, was one of them.
Another was reflecting on her journey in the green and gold over the past eight years.
Over the years, the Boks have seen little support from the public, caused by the stigma of rugby being a physical sport.
As a result, international games for the Boks women have been few, making it hard for past generations to reach achievements such as those of Booi and Ngxingolo.
"It felt when I walked out of that game I was finally seen," Ngxingolo said.
"I have always had that self-doubt.
"Being the second to reach the achievement is huge because we know the struggles women's rugby has had.
"When I got to the Boks, I arrived in the hands of Booi and Babalwa Latsha, and I didn't know rugby that much because I was still a teenager."
Her journey for the Boks has been a testament of her grabbing the opportunity with both hands.
She has spent most of career being judged to be too small for a prop forward.
She is just 1.61m and her peers at international level tend to be taller and bigger, giving them an advantage.
But despite her stature, even those big forwards have found it hard to dominate her.
The reason for that, she says, is that she had to put in twice as much work as everyone else and has spent most of Bok career thinking outside the box.
She was in the picture at 19, but age restrictions for props at international level meant she had to wait another year before making her Test debut.
During that period, Ngxingolo says she gained excessive weight because of the lack of intense game time.
"I gained nine kilograms. I was told when I returned to the Boks I needed to work on my conditioning," she said.
Despite her struggles with weight, she toured to Europe in 2018 and was given eight minutes to impress the coaches in their friendly against Wales.
"I threw everything I could to sell myself. I made a one-hand offload which was largely cheered," she said.
In her next match, she played for 40 minutes and that is when she really felt she belonged in the set-up.
Since then, she has played in two World Cups and has turned out against almost every nation.
With her ability to scrum on both sides, she has been a valuable option off the bench, an impactful role she embraces.
"I'm glad that I chose rugby because I have been able to achieve such things.
"If I had chosen other sports maybe I wouldn't have," she said.
During her mid-teens, Ngxingolo played netball and did karate before eventually choosing rugby at the age of 15.
She used sport, she said, to escape the socials ills in the township.
However, she was too physical for netball and karate required travelling expenses — rugby was the most affordable.
It was at Sandisiwe High at NU14 in Mdantsane where she showed her skill for rugby.
Her first game was against Sakhisizwe and at the time she was playing flank.
That is when she got to meet the late Lusanda Dumke.
"I was playing number seven in that match and Lusanda was playing eight. My team was scared of her," she said.
"I kept on hunting her through the match. I didn't know at the time she had national colors playing for the Springbok sevens.
"It was just my competitive nature."
That would be the start of great friendship as they later played together for the Springboks, Blues Bulls Daisies and Border, winning national championships.
Though her list of influences are endless, among the top names Ngxingolo paid tribute to are former Bok women players Mandisa Williams and Zolisa Noxeke.
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