Jorja Miller of New Zealand scores a try that was later disallowed after a TMO review during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 quarterfinal against South Africa at Sandy Park in Exeter, England, on 13 September. (Photo: Dan Istitene / Getty Images) 
The Springbok Women returned home to a hero’s welcome in South Africa after their excellent Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign.
It was a historic five weeks in England in which the side reached the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time before their 46-17 loss to six-time champions New Zealand in the quarterfinal.
It was an outstanding improvement from the side as they beat Italy (29-24) and Brazil (66-6) in the group stages – the first time in their history that they have won more than one match at the tournament.
Read more: Bok Women beat Italy to nail down historic first World Cup quarterfinal berth
It was a record-breaking tournament for the Springbok Women. In total, they scored 112 points, their most ever, guided by 19 tries, another high mark for the squad.
Individually, fullback Byrhandré Dolf scored 27 points, passing Zandile Nojoko’s record of 26 points scored at Rugby World Cups, but whereas Dolf achieved that in four matches in one tournament, it took Nojoko 15 matches in three tournaments.
Read more: Spirited Springbok Women ‘win hearts’ despite falling to Black Ferns in quarterfinal
The team have also moved up from 12th on the World Rugby rankings to number 10. But what do the Springbok Women need to do next to sit at the top of the table when the next edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup rolls around?
Well, according to South African Rugby Union (Saru) chief executive Rian Oberholzer, a professional domestic league will finally get under way next year.
“What is also very important is the building of a professional league,” Oberholzer said. “We must identify the top 180 to 200 players in South Africa who we put into a professional league, where they can play strength versus strength.
“We can play 12 top games in South Africa – the best teams playing each other; the best talent playing each other; get the best coaches involved, and from there, the international game will improve.
“Discussions I had with Dave [Wessels, general manager for high-performance rugby at Saru] and with coach Swys [de Bruin] were that if we can have a proper professional league in South Africa for the next period of time, we believe we can be contenders in 2029,” he said.
The 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup will be hosted in Australia.
Changing faces
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2233032968-1.jpg "Catha Jacobs of South Africa celebrates with teammates after the team’s victory in the Women’s Rugby World Cup Pool D match against Italy at York Community Stadium in England on 31 August 2025. (Photo: Stu Forster / Getty Images)")
This week Saru also announced an under-16 elite player development (EPD) squad for girls joining the boys from the same age group for a camp in Paarl early next month.
The two EPD squads follow in the wake of a talent identification process conducted by Saru during the recently held Grant Khomo Week and Girls Week for U16s in Pretoria and Johannesburg.
“The naming of our first-ever under-16 Girls EPD squad is a landmark achievement in our journey to elevate women’s rugby,” said Herman Masimla, Saru’s manager for junior high-performance players.
“It’s also a powerful intervention at a critical stage in the development of these young players. Their inclusion signals our commitment to building a truly inclusive and representative pathway for young girls in South African rugby.”
Several of the Springbok Women in this year’s Rugby World Cup squad were athletes in other sports before taking up rugby later in their sport-playing careers.
Lock forward Danelle Lochner played professional netball, even going on to represent the national side before picking up the oval ball.
Utility back Nadine Roos also swapped sports at university after initially pursuing hurdles on track and field before being persuaded to take up rugby.
Retiring captain Nolusindiso Booi only discovered rugby at university – a path shared by many of her teammates who have similar stories.
But Saru is creating pathways for young sportswomen to come through rugby channels that will help them become more technical players at younger ages.
When young sportspeople switch to rugby in their later adolescent years or early twenties, it means more time is spent trying to learn and perfect skills that players in other countries often learn in their pre-teen years or earlier.
But that doesn’t mean those with keen eyes won’t keep searching for those capable of donning the green and gold in other sports.
“If you guys maybe somewhere see a fast girl and she’s very fast, stop her and tell her [the Bok Women] need speeders as well,” said De Bruin.
Big plans
De Bruin took over the reins at the Springbok Women in August last year. Although he is contracted with Saru until 2027, his time in charge of the Bok Women was only set until the end of the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
De Bruin and the team have been a perfect blend for each other. His gratitude for them often brings him close to tears, and their results showcase his expertise.
It’s likely that they will continue to grow together for the next two years, but discussions between De Bruin and Saru are still taking place, and a final decision will be made in due course.
De Bruin, though, wants to see the team go from strength to strength.
“I bought 100% into their vision,” he said of his thoughts when he took the job initially. “We must get the best professional side out there [in order to improve].
“We hear about England and those sides. But once we get that going, the rest will be easy. Because from a rugby passion point of view and from a South African support point of view, you can’t [compete with] it.
“The only thing that we must make sure now is that we don’t go down. […] It’s now looking onwards and upwards, that’s the key.
“There are definite structures in place, which excites me a lot. […] It’s a concerted effort from everyone now, while it’s snowballing, to make sure it becomes a [really, really] big snowball. I’ve got no doubt in my mind with our leadership from Rian and Dave and those guys. Something big is happening here. Something massive.”
Competitive fixtures
/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/2233038959.jpg "Springbok Women players including Byrhandre 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)")
Although the pipeline is being built, finding competitive fixtures and a competitive annual tournament for the national side to play isn’t as easy.
South Africa have no fixtures penned in for the rest of the year. There are no WXV tournaments in a World Cup year.
The annual Rugby Africa Women’s Cup is more of a developmental tournament for the team, as largely fringe players are selected in the continental tournament.
South Africa have won the tournament every year it has been played since its inauguration in 2019.
“One of the challenges we have is where we are positioned in the world,” Oberholzer said.
“For us to play top competition, we must travel to Europe or to New Zealand or Australia. [There] just isn’t opposition for us in Africa.
“So, it is an expensive exercise for us to get to play international fixtures, but we must do that,” Oberholzer said.
Saru seems to have all the building blocks to build something special for the next World Cup, having set the foundation this year. DM
This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.
