Libbie Janse van Rensburg of the Springbok Women dives to score her team’s seventh try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 match between South Africa and Brazil at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton, England, on 24 August 2025. (Photo: David Rogers / Getty Images) 
The Springbok Women have scaled higher than they ever have at the ongoing Women’s Rugby World Cup, but they’re not done yet, determined to keep climbing the uncharted territory.
Their 29-24 win over Italy last Sunday, 31 August, secured their place in the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time in history. However, their next challenges will be the toughest.
Read more: Bok Women beat Italy to nail down historic first World Cup quarterfinal berth
“We desperately wanted to make it into the top eight and now that we have, we want more,” said player of the match against Italy, Libbie Janse van Rensburg. “That game against Italy, as important as it was, was not our final act, we want more, and we are not done yet.”
The team flew over to England for the tournament with the knowledge that winning their first two matches – against Brazil and Italy – would be enough to secure their passage into the next stage.
Now that they’ve completed their initial goal, they’ve set new ones.
“The talk in the camp is that we can now get past the last eight and into the semifinals, and I honestly don’t think it is a pipe dream,” Janse van Rensburg said.
Their first challenge is against a tricky France outfit in their final group stage match on Sunday, 7 September, one they knew would be the most challenging in the pool stages.
The last time the two teams met, France beat South Africa 40-5 in their opening match of the 2021 Rugby World Cup, with the teams drawn in the same group at the last edition of the tournament as well.
Playing the best
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TL_2427071.jpg "Springbok Women assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt (centre) during a training session in Cape Town on 24 July 2025. (Photo: Grant Pitcher / Gallo Images)")
A lot has changed since that match three years ago (the tournament was held in 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic). The Springbok Women have progressed by leaps and bounds, from not having won one match then, including defeats to England and Fiji, to being currently undefeated in the 2025 tournament.
“[France] are fourth on the world rankings and finished second in the Six Nations, and they have massive experience of tournaments like the World Cup,” assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt said.
South Africa, conversely, jumped from 12th to 10th on the World Rugby rankings after their win over Italy, six places separating them from Sunday’s opponents.
And there are seven places separating them from their likely quarterfinal challengers – New Zealand. New Zealand take on Ireland in a top-of the group clash on Sunday as well. The Black Ferns are also reigning double champions and seven times winners overall – the most successful side in Women’s Rugby World Cup history.
“We certainly don’t mind who we play in the quarters as the nature of the competition is that it gets tougher the further you progress,” Johannes-Haupt said.
“We want to play the best, in this case we are playing the number four and then a week later the number three or five in the world. That is what we came for.”
Changes
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2233038959.jpg "Springbok Women players including Byrhandré Dolf (left) and Micke Günter (right) celebrate after South Africa beat Italy in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool D match at York Community Stadium, England, on 31 August 2025. (Photo: Stu Forster / Getty Images)")
South Africa’s focus has firmly shifted to the knockouts with coach Swys de Bruin making several changes to his side to take on France with one eye on the historic quarterfinal match.
In the backline, only inside centre Chumisa Qawe will be starting in the same jersey as last week, while Byrhandré Dolf and Nadine Roos return as fullback and scrumhalf respectively, having played on the wing and fullback against Italy.
Tighthead prop Babalwa Latsha will lead the side in the absence of regular skipper Nolusindiso Booi, who is being rested. Latsha and impressive number 8 Aseza Hele are the only two forwards who will start against France, a week on from Italy.
“That was ideal for us,” De Bruin said of qualifying for the quarterfinals with a game to spare. “As we can now make sure that all the players in the squad will get game time before the quarterfinals, where we would love to select from 32 players eager and fit to play.
“We were guided by our medical team about the workload of certain players and that played a role as well.”
If she comes off the bench against France, South Africa’s second-most experienced player ever, scrumhalf Tayla Kinsey, will make her third appearance at a Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Other changes include flyhalf Mary Zulu and lock Anathi Qolo making their Women’s Rugby World Cup debuts in the starting team in the Pool D decider at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday.
“We decided before the tournament even started that in an ideal world, by the end of the pool stage, all 32 players would have played a part in the match-day squads and be serious contenders for a place in the quarterfinal squad and that worked out well for us,” De Bruin said.
The match kicks off at 5.45pm South African time on Sunday. DM
Springbok Women team to play France:
15-Byrhandré Dolf, 14-Jakkie Cilliers, 13-Eloise Webb, 12-Chumisa Qawe, 11-Maceala Samboya, 10-Mary Zulu, 9-Nadine Roos, 8-Aseza Hele, 7-Catha Jacobs, 6-Lerato Makua, 5-Anathi Qolo, 4-Vainah Ubisi, 3-Babalwa Latsha (captain), 2-Micke Günter, 1-Yonela Ngxingolo.
Replacements: 16-Luchell Hanekom, 17-Xoliswa Khuzwayo, 18-Nombuyekezo Mdliki, 19-Nomsa Mokwai, 20-Faith Tshauke, 21-Sinazo Mcatshulwa, 22-Tayla Kinsey, 23-Aphiwe Ngwevu.