Women Boks v Fijiana: History in the making

FIJI v SOUTH AFRICA @ HFC BANK STADIUM, SUVA – KO 2PM (3AM SAST)

REFEREE NOTES

Jess Ling (Australia)

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

Tests as referee: 7

• Jess Ling will take charge of South Africa for the first time with this fixture.

• Fiji have a W3, L1 record with the Australian official in the middle, their solitary defeat coming on her Test debut in May 2022, 28-14 against Japan on the Gold Coast.

• Ling refereed all three of Fiji’s games in their Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship 2024 success in Australia – 48-3 v Tonga, 85-6 v Papua New Guinea and 27-13 v Samoa.

• This will be Ling’s second Test of the year, having made her Guinness Women’s Six Nations debut with England’s 61-33 victory over Italy in Parma in May.

• Ling, who turned 24 earlier this week, has 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

2022 | Played 1 | Fiji 1 | South Africa 0

• This will be their first meeting since Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand.

• Fiji ran out 21-17 winners thanks to Karalaini Naisewa’s 79th-minute try at Waitakere Stadium in Auckland to record their first-ever Women’s Rugby World Cup victory.

• Ilisapeci Delaiwau and Akanisi Sokoiwasa scored Fiji’s first-half tries, both converted by Lavena Cavuru for a slender 14-7 advantage at the break.

• Zintle Mpupha dotted down South Africa’s first try in the 36th minute, which Libbie Janse van Rensburg converted.

• Aseza Hele’s try just before the hour mark, again converted by Janse van Rensburg, cut the deficit to two points before the fly-half kicked what appeared to be the match winner in the 79th minute.

• However, just 53 seconds later, Fiji snatched victory with Naisewa’s try.

• The sides will meet again at Churchill Park in Lautoka on 15 August.

• The teams will contest the inaugural Ubuntu-Bula Trophy, silverware that draws its name from two powerful expressions that reflect the values of both nations.

TEAM NOTES

• This will be Fiji’s fourth Test of the year following a 33-15 defeat to Australia in Canberra in March and a successful defence of their Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship title on home soil in April.

• Fijiana beat Tonga 85-5 at Churchill Park in Lautoka before powering past Samoa 60-7 in the first women’s Test match to be played in Ba eight days later.

• Aqela Raitubu scored a brace in the first half with Sulita Waisega, Ivi Talei Savu, Vika Nakacia, Merewairita Neivosa and Adi Salaseini Railumu also crossing for tries to give Fiji a 45-5 half-time lead against Tonga.

• The second half was only six minutes old when Karalaini Naisewa got the scoreboard moving again before Keleni Marawa, Varanisese Qoro, Ivamere Nabura Rokowati (twice) and Repeka Adi Tove also dotted down.

• Qoro ended the match with 23 points after converting nine of her 10 conversion attempts.

• Fiji then met Samoa in the title decider and again proved too strong, although six of their nine tries came in the second half, including a hat-trick for Aqela Raitubu.

• Manuqalo Komaitai scored a try in each half with Merewairita Neivosa, Tiana Robanakadavu, Vika Nakacia and Sulita Waisega also getting on the scoreboard.

• Litiana Vueti converted six of the tries and also kicked a first-half penalty.

• Fiji had begun the year with their annual meeting with Australia when the Vuvale Bowl is contested between the sides, going down 33-15 in Canberra.

• Carletta Lee scored Fiji’s opening try just before half-time to cut the deficit to 14-10 at the break at GIO Stadium.

• Josifini Neihamu, a nominee for World Rugby Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year 2025 after an impressive Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, scored Fiji’s second try to make it 21-15 to Australia.

• However, two tries in the final quarter made certain of victory for the Wallaroos.

• Conceding 13 penalties and giving away 18 turnovers contributed to Fiji’s downfall against the Wallaroos.

• Fiji only averaged 1.7 points for each of their seven entries into the Australian 22.

• Fifteen different players have scored tries for Fiji this year, with winger Aqela Raitubu leading the way with five.

• Raitubu is also the team’s leading points scorer in 2026, just ahead of Varanisese Qoro (23).

• This two Test series comes a month before Fiji will face Spain (13 September), hosts Hong Kong China (19 September) and the Netherlands (26 September) in the WXV Global Series Challenger 2026.

SQUAD NOTES

• Thirty of the 32 players named for this South Africa series play for Fijiana Drua.

• Centre Ruth Raketekete and winger Adi Vani Buleki will make their test debuts in Suva.

• Buleki, a Paris 2024 Olympian in sevens, is the only non-Fijiana Drua player in the starting line-up with Jade Coates the other in the match-day squad.

• Scrumhalf Kolora Lomani captains the side for the first time on the occasion of her 25th Test for Fijiana.

COACH NOTES

• Willie Walker was named as Fijiana head coach on Tuesday, fresh from leading Blues Women to a third successive Super Rugby Aupiki title and back-to-back Women’s Super Rugby Champions Final successes against the NSW Waratahs.

• Walker has been in charge of the Blues Women since the team’s inception in 2021, working with such Black Ferns talents as Ruahei Demant, Mererangi Paul, Maiakawanakaulani Roos, Braxton Sorensen-McGee and Katelyn Vahaakolo.

• Walker coached the Black Ferns XV in their 2025 series with South Africa, while also leading the Auckland Storm in the Farah Palmer Cup in New Zealand.

• In recognition of his outstanding contribution to the women’s game, Walker was named National Women’s Coach of the Year at the 2025 New Zealand Rugby Awards.

• A flyhalf and fullback during his playing career with the Highlanders in Super Rugby, Walker also played for North Harbour, Otago and Counties Manukau as well as the Maori All Blacks.

• He also spent five seasons playing in England with Gloucester and Worcester.

• Walker takes over from Mike Legge, who acted as interim head coach this year following the departure of Ioan Cunningham after Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.

• Legge oversaw Fijiana’s loss to Australia in March and then the successful Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship title defence in April.

TEAM NOTES

• South Africa won their first four Tests of the year before losing the second of their two match series with USA 26-19 last month.

• The Springbok Women enjoyed a dream start in the first test with USA in Johannesburg, scoring a record 34 points against the Women’s Eagles and posting their biggest winning margin.

• They scored three tries in the opening 18 minutes through Ayanda Malinga, Unam Tose and captain Babalwa Latsha.

• South Africa’s lead had grown to 29-0 by half-time after a double for Logan Welman and within a minute of the restart that had extended to 34-0 with Vainah Ubisi’s try.

• The Women’s Eagles fought back with three tries in the final quarter to deny South Africa the victory margin they needed to climb above USA in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings.

• It took 21 minutes for the first points when the sides met again a week later in Pretoria when Alichia Arries and Micke Gunter tries making it 14-12 to USA at half-time.

• South Africa could manage only one more try through Ayanda Malinga to suffer their first defeat of the year.

• South Africa conceded 21 penalties in the second game, having only conceded five the week before in winning 34-21.

• South Africa only averaged seven kicks in open play per game across the historic USA series.

• South Africa only lost one of their feeds at the scrum (21/22), a success rate of 95.5%.

• The Springbok Women began the year with a successful defence of their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup 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 had trailed 8-7 at half-time in the title decider with Kenya, Alichia Arries crossing in the 12th minute.

• Naima Hlatshwayo, Logan Welman and Jakkie Cilliers crossed to turn that into a 22-7

• lead by just after the hour mark.

• However, Kenya again hit back to cut the deficit to two points only for South Africa to finish strongly with a Ntsako Mbombi try, converted by Cilliers who also kicked two late penalties.

• The Springbok Women’s 10 tries against Madagascar were all scored by different players.

• Jakkie Cilliers was one of those to cross and also kicked seven conversions in a Player of the Match performance.

• Alichia Arries, Aphiwe Ngwevu, Chuma Qawe, Nombuyekezo Mdliki, Faith Tshauke, Logan Welman, Thandile Mazwi, debutant Thami Yeko and Mary Zulu also dotted down.

• South Africa had trailed 12-0 early on in their second fixture against Uganda but winger Shanique Alexander began the fight-back and further tries from Arries and Welman put them ahead 19-17 at half-time.

• They kept their line intact in the second half and scored another four tries through Thamie Yeko, Naima Hlatshwayo, Faith Tshuake and Arries.

• Jakkie Cilliers was South Africa’s top point-scorer in the tournament with 46 points through two tries, two penalties and 15 conversions).

• The Springbok Women’s top try-scorer in the tournament was Alichia Arries with four.

• Following this series in Fiji, South Africa will return home to face New Zealand in a repeat of their Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 quarter-final.

• The match, at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg is part of a double header with the men’s national teams in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series.

• South Africa will then hit the road for WXV Global Series 2026 matches against Wales (18 September), Italy (26 September) and Spain (4 October) before returning home to face Ireland in Cape Town on 24 and 31 October.

SQUAD NOTES

• South Africa have included four players in their 26-strong touring squad for the series with Fiji who are yet to feature in 2026.

• No 8 Aseza Hele returns after hand surgery, while hooker Lindelwa Gwala has recovered from a calf injury and Zintle Mpupha and Patience Mokone return after a spell with the sevens team.

• Hele, Gwala and Mpupha last played for the Springbok Women in their historic Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 quarter-final loss to New Zealand, while Mokone’s only caps came in the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Cup.

• There are two uncapped players in the squad in Shiniqwa Lamprecht and Maria Tshiremba, who have both played for the Springbok Women’s Sevens team this year.

• Lamprecht will make her Test debut at centre this weekend, one of 13 changes from the side beaten by USA in Pretoria last month.

• Only second-row Vainah Ubisi, flanker Sizophila Solontsi and flyhalf Libbie Janse van Rensburg retain their starting spots.

• Janse van Rensburg becomes the 12th player to captain the Springbok Women in Test rugby with regular captain Babalwa Latsha not considered for the first match in Fiji.

• A group of players have remained in Stellenbosch for strength and conditioning rehabilitation, including Jakkie Cilliers, Danelle Lochner, Sanelisiwe Charlie and Ayanda Malinga.

• Prop Yonela Ngxingolo is the most-capped player in the touring party with 44 Tests, two more than Latsha. Gwala will join them in the 40-cap club if she plays in both Tests in Fiji.

COACH NOTES

• South Africa will be coached by Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September on this tour, with head coach Swys de Bruin remaining in Stellenbosch to work with the extended squad.

• This replicates the setup for the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup title defence in Kenya in May when assistant coaches Johannes-Haupt and September were in charge.

• Experienced former Springbok coaching consultant De Bruin was appointed as Springbok Women’s Performance Coach in August 2024.

• De Bruin’s last international involvement before this appointment was as attack consultant with the Springboks in 2019. Before that, he coached a variety of teams, including the Emirates Lions in Super Rugby and the Currie Cup.

• His first game in charge was a 36-19 win over Spain on the eve of WXV 2 2024.

• He led South Africa to a first Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final appearance in England last year, following pool-stage wins over Italy and Brazil, and also to their highest ever World Rugby Women’s Ranking of 10th.

DID YOU KNOW …?

• Their only previous meeting came at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 when a last-gasp try from Karalaini Naisewa secured a 21-17 victory for Fiji – their first RWC victory.

• This is the 20th year of Fijiana playing Test rugby, with the team having made their debut on 14 April, 2006, losing 27-15 to Samoa.

WORLD RUGBY WOMEN’S RANKINGS PERMUTATIONS

• Fiji will climb above Wales to a new high of 12th with victory over South Africa.

• This would condemn Wales to their lowest position since the rankings were introduced in February 2016.

• A loss by more than 15 points would see South Africa surrender 10th place to Japan, allowing the Sakura Fifteen to equal their highest-ever position.

• South Africa cannot gain enough points in victory to catch Australia in ninth with only a maximum gain of 0.37 rating points possible.

• Fiji cannot fall from 13th place in defeat.

Springbok Women starting XV: 15 Byrhandré Dolf, 14 Maceala Samboya, 13 Zintle Mpupha, 12 Shiniqwa Lamprecht, 11 Patience Mokone; 10 Libbie Janse van Rensburg (capt), 9 Anacadia Minnaar; 8 Aseza Hele, 7 Lerato Makua, 6 Sizophila Solontsi; 5 Nomsa Mokwai, 4 Vainah Ubisi; 3 Nombuyekezo Mdliki, 2 Lindelwa Gwala, 1 Xoliswa Khuzwayo. Replacements: 16 Anushka Groenewald, 17 Yonela Ngxingolo, 18 Thandile Mazwi, 19 Catha Jacobs, 20 Sinelitha Noxeke, 21 Nobuhle Mjwara, 22 Felicia Jacobs, 23 Alichia Arries.