As a child she was involved in competitive sports, was always the team captain and even studied ballet.

As a young adult, she was the South African contestant in the 1977 Miss Universe pageant.

And now, she is the first woman to be the president of the National Rose Society of Australia and the president of the NSW Rose Society at the same time.

She and husband Doug who is the secretary of the NSW Society are both very busy rosarians.

They have just returned home from the Australian Rose Championships in Kiama and are soon off to the New Zealand National Rose Show.

When not judging they also exhibit their pride-and-joys, growing about 300 roses in their back garden.

But they don't just grow them. They also hybridise the different roses, making new species and registering them.

``There are about 36,000 registered types of roses and it's getting bigger due to hybridising,'' Mrs Hayne said.

``We do it for fun if we win it's the cherry on the top but if we don't then that's great too. We like to compete.''

As president of the societies, Mrs Hayne looks after 3500 national members, 570 NSW members and 45 members of the newly formed Nepean, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regional group.

Mrs Hayne hopes to still be in the national chair when the next World Federation of Rose Societies Conference will meet in her birthplace of South Africa.

It's been 33 years since she visited South Africa, where she inherited her father's love of roses and competitive showmanship.

``Dad had a beautiful garden,'' she said.

``I exhibited my dad's roses in the Penrith Show in 1987 and I decided I could do it on my own. All my roses are beautiful but Doug and I think of how they will work for us on the show bench.''