'Rugby's changed my life' - Hele's tough rise

"Please, can my son swap jerseys with you? He speaks so highly of you, and it would be his dream."

Number eight Aseza Hele received the message on social media before South Africa played their final pool game at the Women's Rugby World Cup against France.

The 30-year-old struggled to comprehend why a young boy from England wanted the shirt of someone from the Eastern Cape of South Africa.

A hat-trick of tries against Brazil, followed by another score in a win over Italy that sent South Africa's women into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time, was why.

And Hele, a destructive runner who has been one of the stars of the tournament, was happy to oblige.

"When we finished playing [against France], I saw a big sign saying, 'Hele, can I swap shirts with you?'" Hele told BBC Sport.

"I asked him to come through, and I said I'd meet him at the gate when I came out.

"I didn't swap with any of the French girls because I had kept my shirt for him. And when I got there, he was waiting and smiling. That really warmed my heart. I thought 'Aseza, you are doing good'.

"I've inspired young boys, not just girls. It warmed my heart to make someone's dream come true."

Once Hele finished that sentence, the tears started.

That moment in Northampton signified how far not only Hele has come, but South African women's rugby as a whole.

Hele grew up in the same neighbourhood in Port Elizabeth as the Springboks' two-time World Cup-winning men's captain Siya Kolisi.

A place she described as one where a lot of "deep, deep things" happen.

Raised by her grandmother, Hele only started playing rugby in 2014, after joining a training session as a way to do some further running to stay fit for netball.

An injury meant an extra player was needed, and Hele was told that whatever happens, "just go forward". She hasn't looked back since.

A first Springbok cap came five years later, followed by her first World Cup appearance in 2022.

"Rugby has changed my life. I am the person I am today because of where I came from and the choices I made," she added.

"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."

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The women's team lacks the same player pool, investment, and infrastructure as the men's side in South Africa.

They are rarely favourites, unlike the four-time world champion Springboks.

Siya Kolisi regularly attends Springbok Women matches and training sessions, with his plea on social media for others to join him at WXV2 in Cape Town last year becoming a standout moment, external in the growth of the women's game in South Africa.

A thrilling victory over Italy in York made history for the women's team, but the work Kolisi has done behind the scenes has not gone unnoticed.

"He's the warmest and nicest person ever. He cares about us and wants us to have what they have," former Harlequins number eight Hele said.

"What he has, he likes to share. He's sharing the love from his family with us so we can do well.

"His support has been massive for us. People came because he called them out on social media.

"I don't know how we can thank him, he has done so much for us. From the bottom of our hearts, we love and appreciate him so much."

Ranked 10th in the world, South Africa face world champions New Zealand in Exeter on Saturday.

As underdog stories go, it doesn't get much tougher.

The Black Ferns come into the game off an impressive 40-0 win over Ireland and are eyeing a third straight World Cup.

But Hele has already gone from working as a cashier to playing at a Rugby World Cup - in her eyes, anything is possible.

"The only goal we had as a team was to make the quarters, so at least we ticked that box," she added.

"We didn't fail our people or ourselves, and we made ourselves proud, that is the most important thing.

"They are the big dogs, and we are the underdogs. Anything can happen. A miracle can happen."