New-look WXV contest provides exciting opportunity for Bok Women to tackle top teams
Once upon a time, we were lucky if we saw the Springbok Women play more than a couple of games a year. Now, just two weeks after we watched them take on the Black Ferns in Soweto, they’re in action once again, this time against Wales in Cardiff, as they kick off their WXV Global Series campaign. We dreamed of times like these.
World Rugby has rejigged the format of the WXV competitions, moving away from the three-tiered approach that previously saw the Springbok Women playing in WXV 2, and away from all games from each tier being hosted in one country. Instead, the competition now consists of the WXV Global Series, in which 12 top teams, including the Bok Women, compete in home and away fixtures, and a WXV Global Series Challenger competition, which sees a further six teams go up against each other. Both contests run from 12 September until 31 October, with 2026 being the first year in a fixed three-year cycle aligned with qualification for the 2029 Rugby World Cup.
With game time against the top teams in the world identified as a key priority for this Springbok Women team, the coaching staff and players are thrilled with the opportunity this new WXV format affords to achieve this goal. The team will begin the European leg of their campaign with a Test against Wales in Cardiff on 18 September at 20:15, before facing Italy in Pordenone on 26 September at 14:30, and Spain in Seville on 4 October at 12:00 (all times SAST). They then travel home to host Ireland for two consecutive matches at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, on 24 October and 31 October, both at 15:00.
Of these fixtures, the match up with Italy is a standout for flyhalf Libbie Janse van Rensburg. After all, they’re the team the Bok Women defeated at the 2025 RWC to make history and secure their place in the quarter finals for the first time. She’s also really looking forward to the opening fixture against Wales, a team the Bok Women last played against in 2021. The result in Cardiff that day went in favour of the Welsh women, but Libbie says it felt at the time that it could have gone South Africa’s way, and she’s eager to see what the team delivers on Friday night. The Bok Women have not defeated Wales since 2010, and have never won in Cardiff, but these are different times in South African women’s rugby. Indeed, there are four players in Friday’s line up who will want to show just how different things are now. Babalwa Latsha, Lindelwa Gwala, Aseza Hele, and Felicia Jacobs all made their Springbok Women debuts in 2018 in another clash against Wales in Cardiff – that game ended 19-5 in favour of the hosts, but those four players have a great deal more experience to their names now, and even stronger motivation to turn that result around.
And while the loss against the Black Ferns a fortnight ago may be fresh in their memories, co-coach Franzel September says the coaching staff and players are not dwelling on that disappointment - they have reviewed the game, acknowledged where they went wrong and taken the necessary lessons on board, and are more than ready for the next challenge. They’ll certainly be looking to set the tone for their WXV campaign with a strong start against Wales, and we can look forward to an exciting, physical contest this Bok Friday.
The Springbok Women team to face Wales on Friday, 18 September at 20:15 (SAST)
1 Sanelisiwe Charlie (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 33 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
2 Lindelwa Gwala (Sharks Women) - 41 caps, 90 points (18 tries)
3 Babalwa Latsha (captain, DHL Western Province) – 44 caps, 40 points (8 tries)
4 Vainah Ubisi (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 27 caps, 45 points (9 tries)
5 Danelle Lochner (Harlequins Women) – 25 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
6 Sizophila Solontsi (SA Rugby contracted) – 36 caps, 50 points (10 tries)
7 Catha Jacobs (Golden Lions Women) – 31 caps, 5 points (1 try)
8 Logan Welman (DHL Western Province) – 6 caps, 25 points (5 tries)
9 Felicia Jacobs (Sanlam Boland Dames) – 13 caps, 15 points (3 tries)
10 Libbie Janse van Rensburg (SA Rugby contracted) - 35 caps, 221 points (14 tries, 56 conversions, 12 penalty goals, 1 drop goal)
11 Ayanda Malinga (SA Rugby contracted) – 20 caps, 85 points (17 tries)
12 Aphiwe Ngwevu (Border Ladies) – 36 caps, 85 points (17 tries)
13 Maceala Samboya (Sanlam Boland Dames) – 11 caps, 25 points (5 tries)
14 Maria Tshiremba (SA Rugby contracted) - 1 cap, 15 points (3 tries)
15 Byrhandré Dolf (SA Rugby contracted) – 30 caps, 81 points (8 tries, 19 conversions, 1 penalty goal)
Replacements:
16 Micke Gunter (Leicester Tigers) – 18 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
17 Xoliswa Khuzwayo (Golden Lions Women) – 14 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
18 Nombuyekezo Mdliki (Border Ladies) – 16 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
19 Nomsa Mokwai (DHL Western Province) – 20 caps, 0 points
20 Aseza Hele (Sanlam Boland Dames) - 35 caps, 85 points (17 tries)
21 Sinelitha Noxeke (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 9 caps, 5 points (1 try
22 Jakkie Cilliers (Rugby Club Toulon Provence Méditerranée) – 26 caps, 157 points (11 tries, 42 conversions, 6 penalty goals)
23 Patience Mokone (SA Rugby contracted) - 5 caps, 20 points (4 tries)
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