Springbok Women v Ireland Women: The start of a rivalry

WXV Global Series

SOUTH AFRICA v IRELAND – ATHLONE STADIUM, CAPE TOWN (3pm)

The match will be streamed live on RugbyPass TV where no local broadcaster

REFEREE NOTES

Jess Ling (Australia)

Test debut: 1 May, 2022 – Fiji 14-28 Japan

Tests as referee: 9

• Jess Ling will referee Ireland for the first time with this fixture.

• She will also referee their second meeting at this venue next weekend.

• This is the second time she will referee South Africa this year, having overseen their 55-12 victory over Fiji in the first of their two-Test series in August.

• Ling takes charge of her fourth Test of the year, having made her Guinness Women’s Six Nations debut in the middle with England’s 61-33 win over Italy in May and also refereed New Zealand’s 66-14 win over Scotland in the WXV Global Series on 19 September.

• The Australian also refereed on the HSBC SVNS 2026 series in Dubai, Perth, Vancouver and New York, as well as the HSBC SVNS World Championship 2026 in Hong Kong.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

2006 | Played 1 | South Africa 0 | Ireland 1 @ St Albert Rugby Football Club, St Albert, Canada

• This is their first meeting since Women’s Rugby World Cup 2006 in Canada when Ireland ran out 37-0 winners.

• Joy Neville scored Ireland’s first try before Tania Rosser, Fiona Coghlan and Jeannette Feighery followed her over the line before half-time for a 25-0 lead.

• Feighery grabbed her second of the match just before the hour mark, before Mairead Kelly scored Ireland’s sixth try late on, which Jo O’Sullivan converted.

SA TEAM NOTES

• South Africa bounced back from their shock 50-19 loss to Wales in their opening WXV Global Series 2026 fixture to record back-to-back wins, 41-29 v Italy and 20-0 v Spain.

• The Spain match was the first time the Springbok Women have kept the opposition scoreless since they beat Cameroon 55-0 in May 2024.

• South Africa led 10-0 at half-time against Las Leonas, thanks to Catha Jacobs’ first try of the year, which Jakkie Cilliers converted, as well as slotting a penalty.

• Aseza Hele then opened her account for 2026 four minutes after the restart before Cilliers crossed for her third try of the year.

• Cilliers is the team’s leading points scorer in 2026 with 75 points, including those three tries.

• Hele is the 31st different Springbok Women’s player to score a try this year.

• South Africa responded to falling behind to a fifth-minute try against Italy by scoring 24 unanswered points, with Anushka Groenewald scoring twice, either side of Byrhandré Dolf’s effort, and a try on the half-hour mark from Maria Tshiremba, along with two Cilliers conversions.

• Cilliers’ 54th-minute penalty was their only source of points for the next half-hour or so, during which time they not only lost loose-head prop Yonela Ngxingolo to the sin-bin but also the lead, with Italy going 29-27 up with 16 minutes left to play.

• However, tries from Micke Gunter and Logan Welman, which Cilliers converted, settled the match in the Springbok Women’s favour.

• South Africa made almost as many carries as Italy (92-94) but could only manage 241 post contact metres compared to Italy’s 372.

• Winger Tshiremba has scored five tries in three caps, having scored a hat-trick on debut against Fiji following her move to 15s from sevens.

• Logan Welman is level with second-row Vainah Ubisi as South Africa’s leading try scorer in 2026, with six.

• In round one, South Africa only played 21 minutes of the first half against Wales with their full complement of players, following a yellow card to Lindelwa Gwala in the 21st minute and a red card to Danelle Lochner in the 35th minute.

• Lochner subsequently had the red card rescinded following a referral by the Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) for a full disciplinary hearing.

• South Africa trailed 38-5 at the break in Cardiff, with Felicia Jacobs scoring their only points of the first half.

• Jacobs’ try was South Africa’s 50th of 2026, a total which has since increased to 61.

• Maria Tshiremba and Maceala Samboya crossed within a six-minute spell as the Springbok Women staged a brief rally in the third quarter, with Byrhandré Dolf converting both of the tries.

• South Africa had three more entries into the opposition 22 than Wales (14-11) but could only muster an average of 1.3 points per visit as opposed to Wales’ 4.5.

• It was their heaviest loss and the most points they have conceded in 22 years of playing Wales.

• It was only the second time this year that South Africa have failed to score 20 points (also a 26-19 defeat v USA).

• The Springbok Women have broken new ground this year by hosting a series against the USA, playing an away series in Fiji and a first-ever game on home soil against New Zealand.

• South Africa began 2026 with a successful defence of their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Performance Division title following a 35-20 win over hosts Kenya in the title decider on 31 May.

• They had already beaten Madagascar 64-5 and Uganda 47-20 in Nairobi.

• South Africa will face Ireland for a second time at this venue on 31 October.

SQUAD NOTES

• Anacadia Minnaar and Insaaf Levy have joined the Springbok Women preparing for the two matches against Ireland to round out their year with the WXV Global Series 2026.

• Minnaar was a late withdrawal before the tour of Wales, Italy and Spain last month but returns in place of Felicia Jacobs, while fellow back Levy replaces the injured Ayanda Malinga.

• Levy made her debut in the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Performance Division in Kenya in May and more recently toured Brazil with the South Africa Women’s A side.

• Two other players – centre Aisha Camara and prop Anothando Katshwa – were invited to train with the squad for the duration of the camp around the two Ireland fixtures but have now joined the squad after captain Babalwa Latsha (ankle) and Nombuyekezo Mdliki (rib) were ruled out due to injury.

• Anuschka Ekron has now joined the squad for training this week.

• Sizophila Solontsi takes over the captaincy in the absence of Latsha, having co-captained the side in the win over Italy last month alongside Unam Tose.

• Replacement prop Yonela Ngxingolo is poised to become only the second South African woman to reach 50 tests after former captain Nolusindiso Booi.

• Her fellow forwards Sizophila Solontsi and Aphiwe Ngwevu should both reach 40 Tests for the Springbok Women this weekend, the latter also named on the bench.

• Xoliswa Khuzwayo shifts across to tight-head with Sanelisiwe Charlie returning after being rested for the 20-0 defeat of Spain, while the only other change sees Maria Tshiremba back on the left wing in place of Patience Mokono.

COACH NOTES

• Franzel September and Laurian Johannes-Haupt were appointed as co-head coaches after Swys de Bruin stepped down on the eve of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series match against New Zealand in September.

• They had already fulfilled the role on two successful tours this year - the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in Kenya and the two-Test series in Fiji.

• Junior Springboks assistant coach Melusi Mthethwa has been drafted in as part of the coaching team.

• Dave Wessels, SA Rugby’s General Manager for High-Performance, assisted the squad in Wales and will be involved in preparations for the upcoming Tests as well.

IRE TEAM NOTES

• Ireland have scored 11 tries in winning one and losing one of their WXV Global Series matches to date, six of which have been converted by Dannah O’Brien.

• Nine different players have crossed the whitewash, with Brittany Hogan and Béibhinn Parsons the only players to have crossed multiple times (twice).

• Continuing a trend from the Guinness Women’s Six Nations, Ireland have scored the majority of their points in the first half of matches in the WXV Global Series (64% - 43/67).

• Vicky Elmes Kinlan (v USA) and Erin King (v Japan) have received yellow cards, while Ireland are averaging 13.5 penalties per match to date.

• Ireland conceded 192 post-contact metres against USA but won the gain-line battle against Japan, giving away just 65 metres.

• Ireland’s opening game against the USA was the most points (36) they have ever scored in a match without winning in their 36-year history as a test team.

• Ireland led USA 31-12 early in the second half but the Women’s Eagles capitalised on Vicky Elmes Kinlan's yellow card to launch a spectacular comeback.

• Elmes Kinlan, Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald. Aoife Wafer and Eve Higgins crossed in the first half before Erin King and Dorothy Wall added two further tries after the break.

• Dannah O’Brien was only successful with half of her conversion attempts (3/6).

• Ireland were only able to stop USA scoring a try in two of the Women’s Eagles' entries into their 22.

• Ireland edged Japan 31-24 in their second game in the WXV Global Series 2026, having shot into a 19-0 lead at Dexcom Stadium.

• A brace of tries from in-form Brittany Hogan and the first of two tries for winger Béibhinn Parsons, plus Dannah O’Brien’s two conversions, put the Irish in a commanding position.

• However, Japan’s powerful maul brought them two tries either side of the interval while Erin King was in the sin bin for Ireland.

• Aoife Dalton’s five-pointer in the 55th minute pulled Ireland two scores clear again but after Japan found another response, the game remained in the balance until Parsons got her second in the 75th minute to tie Alison Miller’s record of 24 test tries for Ireland.

• Ireland conceded 16 penalties in Galway, with seven at rucks or mauls.

• Ireland were more comprehensive winners (43-19) when the sides met again in a standalone match a week later in Cork.

• Ireland led 22-7 at half-time following tries from Eilis Cahill, Brittany Hogan, Neve Jones and Anna McGann.

• Dannah O’Brien kicked her second conversion of the match when Béibhinn Parsons crossed shortly after the restart for her record-breaking 25th test try, before Alana McInerney and Sophie Barrett went over in the final quarter.

• Enya Breen turned the final two tries into seven-pointers with the conversions.

• Ireland finished third in the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations.

• Ireland have finished in the top half of the table in all but three of the last 18 editions of the championship (fifth in 2019, fourth in 2022 and sixth in 2023).

• They have won the title twice – in 2013 and 2015, the first by a Grand Slam.

• Ireland won all three of their home games in this year’s edition – against Italy, Wales and Scotland.

• In the first Women's Six Nations game at Connacht's newly redeveloped stadium, against Italy, Galway-born winger Béibhinn Parsons delighted the 9 206-strong crowd – a record for an Ireland women's home game – by scoring a hat-trick.

• Ireland were ahead at half-time in their last four Women’s Six Nations fixtures.

• Ireland scored 73% of their points in the first half (118/163) with 18 of their 25 tries coming before the break (72%).

• Ireland’s scrum was the most successful in the championship, winning 96.43% of the ball on their feed.

• However, Ireland conceded the most penalties (52).

• Dannah O’Brien was the only ever-present Ireland player, clocking up the full 400 minutes of game time, and was Ireland’s top points scorer with 38, placing her third overall.

• Erin King was the top tackler, with 80 completed tackles.

SQUAD NOTES

• Ireland will be without Sam Monaghan and Aoife Wafer for the tour to South Africa but Ruth Campbell returns from injury.

• Erin King continues as captain of the 30-strong squad for the two games in Cape Town.

• Beth Buttimer, Jemima Adams Verling, Kate Jordan, Sophie Barrett and Alana McInerney retain their places after making their debuts in either the WXV Global Series in September or the standalone win over Japan earlier this month.

• Neve Jones becomes the latest Irish player to 50 Tests this weekend in a front row that shows one change with Eilís Cahill coming in on the tighthead.

• Dorothy Wall comes back into the second row after sitting out the Japan win, prompting a move for Fiona Tuite-O’Sullivan to blindside and Brittany Hogan to No 8.

• The only change to the backline see Stacey Flood back at fullback.

• Niamh O’Dowd and Eve Higgins both come into the bench for this first meeting between the sides for 20 years.

COACH NOTES

• Initially appointed on a three-year contract in August 2023, Scott Bemand has had his contract extended through to the end of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029.

• Bemand led Ireland to the inaugural WXV 3 title in Dubai later that year, successive third-place finishes in the Women's Six Nations and a Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 quarter-final appearance.

• Bemand has a 58% win record in charge of Ireland (P31, W18, L13).

• Ireland have scored 146 tries under the Englishman, while conceding 109.

• During his eight years with England as lead coach, the Red Roses won six Women’s Six Nations titles (including five Grand Slams), were runners-up at two Women’s Rugby World Cups and achieved the No 1 world ranking.

• A former scrumhalf, Bemand played professionally for Leicester, Harlequins and Bath.

DID YOU KNOW…?

• Ireland are the only team ranked in the top 10 of the World Rugby Women’s Rankings that none of the South African squad have previously faced.

• Jakkie Cilliers is bidding to become only the second Springbok Women’s player after Libbie Janse van Rensburg to score 200 Test points. Cilliers is currently on 176 from 29 Tests.

• Zoe Naude (South Africa) will take charge of USA v Italy for the first time, having already refereed both teams already this year with the Women's Eagles splitting the series with South Africa in July and Italy beating Japan in the WXV Global Series last month.

WORLD RUGBY WOMEN’S RANKINGS PERMUTATIONS

• South Africa could climb to a new high of eighth if they beat Ireland and both Scotland and Italy lose to Australia and USA for a second successive weekend.

• Even if only one of their rivals are beaten, the victorious Springbok Women will still earn a new high as their current 10th place is already their best to date.

• Ireland can drop two places to seventh in defeat if both Australia and USA are victorious.

• A win will keep Ireland safe in fifth place, albeit potentially only just as they, Australia and USA could be separated by as little as 0.33 rating points depending on results this weekend.

Springbok Women starting XV: 15 Jakkie Cilliers, 14 Alichia Arries, 13 Maceala Samboya, 12 Shiniqwa Lamprecht, 11 Maria Tshiremba; 10 Byrhandré Dolf, 9 Unam Tose; 8 Aseza Hele, 7 Lerato Makua, 6 Sizophila Solontsi (capt); 5 Catha Jacobs, 4 Vainah Ubisi; 3 Xoliswa Khuzwayo, 2 Anushka Groenewald, 1 Sanelisiwe Charlie. Replacements: 16 Lindelwa Gwala, 17 Yonela Ngxingolo, 18 Thandile Mazwi, 19 Danelle Lochner, 20 Logan Welman, 21 Aphiwe Ngwevu, 22 Anacadia Minnaar, 23 Mary Zulu.

Ireland Women starting XV: 15 Stacey Flood, 14 Béibhinn Parsons, 13 Anna McGann, 12 Aoife Dalton, 11 Robyn O'Connor; 10 Dannah O’Brien, 9 Emily Lane; 8 Brittany Hogan, 7 Erin King (capt), 6 Fiona Tuite-O'Sullivan; 5 Dorothy Wall, 4 Jane Clohessy; 3 Eilís Cahill, 2 Neve Jones, 1 Linda Djougang. Replacements: 16 Beth Buttimer, 17 Niamh O’Dowd, 18 Sadhbh McGrath, 19 Kate Jordan, 20 Grace Moore, 21 Jemima Adams Verling, 22 Aoibheann Reilly, 23 Eve Higgins.

South Africa v Ireland @ Athlone Stadium, Cape Town (3pm)

Referee: Jess Ling (RA)

Assistant Referees: Precious Pazani (ZRU), Giana Viljoen

Television Match Official: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

Split Screen/FPRO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)