Wales v South Africa: Bok Women target top 10, Welsh top 12

WXV Global Series

FRIDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER – WALES v SOUTH AFRICA (7.15PM BST/8.15PM SAST) – CARDIFF ARMS PARK, CARDIFF

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

REFEREE

Ella Goldsmith (Australia)

Test debut: 26 May, 2023 – Papua New Guinea 0-77 Fiji

Tests as referee: 18

• Ella Goldsmith will referee this fixture for the first time.

• This is the third time she takes charge of Wales in 2026, having overseen their 24-19 loss to Scotland and 62-24 defeat by England in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations.

• Wales have a W1, L3 record with the Australian on the whistle, losing 8-5 to Italy before beating Japan 19-10 in WXV 2 2024 in South Africa.

• South Africa won their only previous Test with Goldsmith in the middle, beating Italy 29-24 at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.

• Goldsmith will referee four matches in the WXV Global Series, following this encounter with Ireland v Japan on 27 September and the first and third Tests between New Zealand and France on 17 and 31 October.

• This is Goldsmith’s fifth Test of the year, having also overseen Ireland’s 57-20 victory over Italy in the Women’s Six Nations and Fiji’s 15-12 win against Japan in Fukuoka on 4 September.

• Goldsmith also refereed on the HSBC SVNS 2026 rounds in Singapore and Perth as well as two of the HSBC SVNS World Championship 2026 legs in Valladolid and Bordeaux.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

2004-2021 | Played 8 | Wales 6 | South Africa 2

Points for: Wales 155/South Africa 103 (Avg. score: 20-13)

Highest score: Wales 35 (35-3 on 9 August, 2014)/South Africa 24 (24-9 on 30 April, 2005)

Biggest winning margin: Wales 32 (35-3 on 9 August, 2014)/South Africa 15 (24-9 on 30 April, 2005)

• This is the first meeting between the teams in five years, since Wales won 29-19 at this venue in November 2021.

• Hooker Carys Phillips celebrated her first international start in two years (741 days) with a hat-trick in that match.

• Wales’ half-backs accounted for the rest of their points, with scrumhalf Ffion Lewis scoring a try and flyhalf Elinor Snowsill kicking three conversions and a penalty.

• South Africa scored late consolation tries through Zintle Mpupha and Libbie Janse van Rensburg.

• Now that Donna Rose has pulled out, there are eight members of the current Wales WXV Global Series squad that featured in that 2021 match.

• Keira Bevan is the only surviving back and she is joined by forwards Gwenllian Pyrs, Gwen Crabb, Natalia John, Georgia Evans, Alex Callender, Bethan Lewis and Alisha Joyce (nee Butchers).

• Six of the current Springbok Women’s squad played against Wales last time out: Libbie Janse van Rensburg and Unam Tose in the backs and Yonela Ngxingolo, Babalwa Latsha, Catha Jacobs and Sizophila Solontsi in the forwards.

• Wales have won the last four meetings, dating back to a 15-10 win for the Springbok Women in the pool stage of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2010 in England.

• Their maiden meeting on 29 May, 2004 was South Africa’s first-ever Test match.

WALES TEAM NOTES

• Wales are currently on a record nine-match losing run in Test rugby, dating back to a 21-12 win over Australia in Brisbane in July 2025.

• This includes Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 where they lost to Scotland, Canada and Fiji.

• Wales once went 14 matches without a win - between 1987 and 1993 - but a draw broke up the streak.

• However, Wales did win their last fixture 34-17 – the non-capped international against the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham in June.

• The 43-24 defeat to Italy in May saw Wales receive their third consecutive Guinness Women’s Six Nations wooden spoon.

• Wales have propped up the standings in six of the last eight championships.

• Head coach Sean Lynn has yet to mastermind a Women’s Six Nations victory since taking charge in early 2025.

• Wales scored 57 of their 86 points in the first half of matches (66%), with nine of their 14 tries coming in the first period.

• In their 62-24 defeat to England, they achieved their highest-ever score against the Red Roses.

• Wales were ranked second-equal for dominant tackles (40) and turnovers won (39) and they conceded the fewest turnovers 57).

• Lleucu George and captain Beth Lewis were the only ever-present Welsh players in the Women’s Six Nations, appearing for all 400 minutes.

• Wales will host USA at this venue next weekend, before heading to Japan to conclude their WXV Global Series 2026 campaign with two tests, on 24 and 31 October.

SQUAD NOTES

• Wales initially suffered three injury blows on the eve of this WXV Global Series, with prop Donna Rose (ankle) and centres Kelsie Webster (hand) and Hanna Tudor (foot) ruled out.

• On Tuesday, they then lost utility back Kayleigh Powell to a hamstring injury.

• Wales had called up Sian Jones (scrumhalf) as well as the uncapped pair Nia Fajeyisan (winger) and Savannah Picton Powell (centre) as cover.

• The inclusion of Fajeyisan and Powell takes the uncapped contingent to nine.

• Wingers Amy Williams and Kelsie Webster and prop Stella Orrin, who played in June's match against the Barbarians in Twickenham, were named in the original squad alongside props Crystal James and Elan Jones, hooker Shanelle Williams and scrumhalf Megan Davey, with Tudor missing out.

• Back-row forwards Alex Callender and Kate Williams have been named as co-captains.

• Callender will aim to win her first cap since Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 after missing the Women’s Six Nations through injury, while fellow influential back-row Kate Williams was also sidelined for the final three rounds of the championship.

• There are three uncapped players named in the match-day 23, all of whom played for Brython Thunder in the Celtic Challenge.

• Amy Williams has been named to start, while Shanelle Williams and Elan Jones in line to join her as a debutant. Williams will become the 10th new cap under coach Sean Lynn.

• Keira Bevan will start a test for the first time at flyhalf in what will be her 84th Test for her country, partnering Seren Lockwood at half-back.

• Freya Bell earns a first test start outside Bevan, having come off the bench twice in the Women’s Six Nations, and has been handed the kicking duties.

COACH NOTES

• Sean Lynn was appointed head coach of Wales ahead of the start of the 2025 Guinness Women’s Six Nations.

• The Welshman signed a three-year contract as Ioan Cunningham’s replacement.

• He joined the Welsh Rugby Union after leading Gloucester-Hartpury to an unprecedented three-peat of Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) titles.

• A 21-12 victory over Australia in Ballymore in July 2025 is his only win in 15 matches in charge of the team.

SA TEAM NOTES

• The Springbok Women have won six of their last eight Tests, with their only defeats in that time coming against the USA in Pretoria in July and against New Zealand in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series a fortnight ago.

• South Africa have only failed to score 20 points once this year (the 26-19 defeat to the USA) and average 37.8 points per game.

• After crossing the whitewash four times in the 52-20 defeat to New Zealand, South Africa are just one try away from scoring 50 in 2026.

• Hooker Lindelwa Gwala and centre Aphiwe Ngwevu pocketed tries in the first half against New Zealand, before second-row Vainah Ubisi bagged a second-half brace.

• Having taken her tally to six, Ubisi is now South Africa’s leading try scorer in 2026.

• Gwala, meanwhile, has four tries – all scored within 25 minutes of kick-off.

• All four of South Africa’s tries against the Black Ferns went unconverted, giving them an overall conversion success rate of 53% for the year, while only two penalties have been kicked (both against Kenya by Jakkie Cilliers).

• 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

• Debutant winger Maria Tshiremba became the first player to score a hat-trick of tries this year in the second Test win against Fiji in Lautoka.

• The Springbok Women 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.

• Following this Test, South Africa will continue on their travels, taking on Italy (26 September) and Spain (4 October) before returning home to face Ireland in Cape Town on 24 and 31 October.

SQUAD NOTES

• Experienced centre Zintle Mpupha picked up an ankle injury against the Black Ferns and Naima Hlatshwayo, who made her debut in the 2026 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup, has been brought in as cover.

• Other than that, the Springbok Women’s squad mirrors that which was involved in the build-up to the New Zealand Test.

• South Africa will once again be captained by Babalwa Latsha, who is one of three players with more than 40 caps in the squad, along with fellow forwards Yonela Ngxingolo and Lindelwa Gwala.

• Latsha made her Test debut against Wales at this venue in 2018.

• Maceala Samboya replaces Mpupha in the starting line-up, while Felicia Jacobs and Maria Tshiremba return after missing the New Zealand defeat.

• It will be a second start for sevens star Tshiremba who scored a hat-trick on debut against Fiji last month.

• Logan Welman is the only change to the forward pack, swapping places with Asez Hele at No 8.

COACH NOTES

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

• They have already fulfilled the role on two previous tours this year, for the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and the two-Test series in Fiji.

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

• De Bruin initially joined the union’s high-performance department in August 2024 before being appointed Springbok Women boss.

• During his time in charge of the team, the 66-year-old led the Springbok Women to new heights, headlined by their run to the quarter-finals of Rugby World Cup 2025.

• The team also entered the top 10 of the World Rugby Women’s Rugby Rankings for the first time.

• In total, De Bruin won 14 of the 21 Test matches he presided over (66.7%).

WORLD RUGBY WOMEN’S RANKINGS PERMUTATIONS

• Wales will climb one place to 12th if they beat South Africa, even if Fiji are victorious against Hong Kong China in the WXV Global Series Challenger. This is because Wales will gain more for beating a higher-ranked opponent.

• It will be the same outcome if both teams are beaten this weekend.

• Wales will also move above Japan if they beat the Springbok Women by more than 15 points and the Sakura Fifteen lose to Italy.

• South Africa can reach a new high of ninth this weekend but only if they beat Wales by more than 15 points and Italy lose by the same margin to Japan.

DID YOU KNOW…?

• South Africa’s last victory over Wales came at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2010 in England.

• Zoe Naude (South Africa) takes charge of Italy for the first time when they host Japan, a side she has refereed once before in a WXV 2 loss to Scotland in 2024.

• Giana Viljoen (South Africa) will make her Test debut in the middle when she referees Fiji v Hong Kong China.

Wales Women starting XV: 15 Lisa Neumann, 14 Seren Singleton, 13 Courtney Keight, 12 Freya Bell, 11 Amy Williams; 10 Keira Bevan, 9 Seren Lockwood; 8 Bryonie King, 7 Alex Callender (co-capt), 6 Kate Williams (co-capt); 5 Georgia Evans, 4 Branwen Metcalfe; 3 Sisilia Tuipulotu, 2 Kelsey Jones, 1 Maisie Davies. Replacements: 16 Shanelle Williams, 17 Gwenllian Pyrs, 18 Elan Jones, 19 Gwen Crabb, 20 Jorja Aiono, 21 Alisha Joyce, 22 Lleucu George, 23 Jenna De Vera.

Springbok Women starting XV: 15 Byrhandré Dolf, 14 Maria Tshiremba, 13 Maceala Samboya, 12 Aphiwe Ngwevu, 11 Ayanda Malinga; 10 Libbie Janse van Rensburg, 9 Felicia Jacobs; 8 Logan Welman, 7 Catha Jacobs, 6 Sizophila Solontsi; 5 Danelle Lochner, 4 Vainah Ubisi; 3 Babalwa Latsha (capt), 2 Lindelwa Gwala, 1 Sanelisiwe Charlie. Replacements: 16 Micke Gunter, 17 Xoliswa Khuzwayo, 18 Nombuyekezo Mdliki, 19 Nomsa Mokwai, 20 Aseza Hele, 21 Sinelitha Noxeke, 22 Jakkie Cilliers, 23 Patience Mokone.

Wales v South Africa - Friday @ Cardiff Arms Park (8.15pm SAST)

Referee: Ella Goldsmith (RA)

Assistant Referee 1: Ruairidh Campbell (SRU)

Assistant Referee 2: Rebecca Piddlesden (RFU)

TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)

FPRO: Paul Haycock (IRFU)

Broadcast: SuperSport Rugby (211)