When the final whistle blew after Fiji’s last-gasp try against the Springbok women, the disappointment was etched on the faces of the South Africans. 

The Boks went into their clash with Fiji as favourites. After all, they were ranked 11 places higher than their opponents at the time. In fact, grouped with world No 1 England and fourth-ranked France, the South Africans had eyed the Fiji contest as the fixture they could win to boost their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed finishers. 

Had they succeeded in this endeavour, it would have been the first time the South Africans had made it to the knockout stage of a World Cup. In the three World Cups the team has played in, 10th place is the highest they have finished. 

The tussle against the Fijiana was also meant to serve as a canvas for the Bok women to paint a picture of the progress they have made over the past three years. However, there are never any definites in sport. It can be a game defined by upsets. 

That’s what the match against Fiji was. A coup d’état of sorts for the Pacific islanders, who are on their own journey of self-discovery. Much like it would’ve been significant for the Springboks, the victory for Fiji will be a sentimental 0ne. After all, it was the nation’s first at a women’s World Cup. 

Not a failure?

When quizzed on whether he felt that the team had failed in their World Cup campaign with the loss to Fiji, South Africa’s director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, reminded journalists that between 2014 and late 2018 the Bok women had not played any rugby. 

This meant South Africa did not even attempt to send a team to the World Cup in 2017. During this period, it looked as if the strides made since the Boks had played their first intentional Test in 2004 would be flushed down the drain.

At that time, SA Rugby had opted to reassess its approach to the growth of women’s rugby. The organisation was cognisant of the fact that female rugby players do not enjoy the same developmental and grassroots exposure to rugby as their male counterparts.

“The women’s 15s programme was closed down because there was just simply no pathway for women. There were girls who played for the Springboks who had just played four matches in their lives,” Erasmus said. 

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“First of all, it was life-threatening to them, playing against some professional players [from other countries]. Second of all, it wasn’t fair to the South African [rugby brand] – as well as the Springbok women brand – to let those girls play against teams that were fully professional.

“So, we closed down the women’s 15s and started youth training centres where we just got the girls playing rugby, enjoying rugby and socialising. Because we don’t have the natural school path [for girls] similar to what boys have when they are at school.”

Erasmus, following his World Cup triumph with the men’s side in 2019, was charged with leading the upward trajectory of the women’s team. Soon after, experienced and highly respected Irish women’s rugby legend Lynne Cantwell joined the ranks as high-performance manager for the women’s sevens side and the 15s.

The former Bok coach also shared that if SA Rugby was serious about ensuring that the women’s game grew in the country, to catch up with nations such as England, New Zealand and France, they had to bump the women’s programme up the priority list.

“It got to a point where women’s 15s is now our second-highest priority. It is ranked higher than the Junior Springboks, as well as the Blitzboks. So, it’s the men’s Springboks and women’s Springboks,” Erasmus reiterated.

“I believe if we didn’t intervene, they wouldn’t have made the progress they have made. The Japanese men’s side, in 1995, conceded 145 points to the All Blacks,” he continued. 

“We prevented that from happening to the Bok women. We’ve now got 19 contracted players and girls who’ve played a lot of Test matches… Yes, we targeted the Fiji match [as a barometer of our progress], but I don’t think it was a failure. There’s definitely been progress.”

Taking stock

Progress has definitely been made. The Boks went into this latest edition of the World Cup with their highest global ranking yet – 11th. 

In preparation for the showpiece, the team also demonstrated that tangible progress had been made. They did this by beating Japan – away from home – and Spain on South African soil. Both were milestones, with one being the team’s first triumph to date on foreign soil, while the other was their maiden victory over the Spaniards. 

Sesenieli Donu of Fiji in action during the Women’s Rugby World Cup Group Stage match between Fiji and South Africa at Waitakere Stadium in Auckland.  16 October 2022. EPA-EFE/ANDREW CORNAGA.

FNB also banked on the Boks as they came on board as a headline sponsor two months from the World Cup. It was an acknowledgement of the strides made by the team since their first Test 18 years ago.   

Naturally, the players and the technical team did not head to New Zealand with defeat on their minds. They may have been aware of the threat posed by the French and English, but they were never going to just roll over and fall victim to these teams. 

Against Fiji though, the Boks would have had a spring in their step. 

“We did target the Fiji game for a win when we planned our campaign. We were hoping to get at least a bonus point from the matches against France and England,” admitted forwards coach Eddie Myners.

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It was not to be, and the players have no choice but to look at themselves as well. It may have been the heaviness of the occasion and the self-imposed pressure of trying to shine the spotlight on women’s rugby in the country (some people are not even aware of its existence). 

Either way, there could have been fewer individual errors in the opening matches, as well as a tighter disciplinary showing by the team.  

“Things have not worked out for us. It is disappointing. But we still have one more go at it. We now need to beat England to make it into the next round. Stranger things have happened. We are certainly not going down without a fight,” added Myners.  

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Due to the outstanding achievements of the men’s Bok side, there will always be comparisons between themselves and the women’s outfit. These are unfair, of course. The men have a head start of decades.   

“We’re in the infant stage of our development. Doing well [at the World Cup] will raise eyebrows. But the goal is to make people aware that women can play the game, they want to play the game, and they shouldn’t be restricted. Realistically we’re very far away. But we’re improving,” said coach Stanley Raubenheimer in the build-up. 

“It’s easy to market a team when they’re challenging for World Cups. But we require patience, and a little kindness as well.”

The team will also require some introspection upon the culmination of this latest campaign. The Boks will walk away from their first World Cup since 2014 with some harsh lessons from a playing perspective. 

However, there is no doubt that more can be done to incentivise female rugby players in South Africa, and this may take the team to even greater heights. DM