Women Boks v Fijiana: Numbers don't lie

FIJI v SOUTH AFRICA @ CHURCHILL PARK, LAUTOKA – KO 1pm (3AM SAST)

REFEREE NOTES

Amber McLachlan (Australia)

Test debut: 28 May, 2019 – Hong Kong 15-34 Samoa

Tests as a referee: 20

• Amber McLachlan will take charge of this fixture for the first time.

• Fiji are yet to win with McLachlan in the middle (L4), although their defeats have come at the hands of Australia (36-19 in 2022 and 33-15 in 2026), Canada (24-7 in 2022) and France (44-0 at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021, played in 2022).

• The loss to Australia in Canberra in March marked McLachlan’s return to the international stage following the birth of her son Lincoln.

• This will be the second time she referees Fijiana on home soil with the loss to Canada in a RWC 2021 warm-up match played in Suva.

• McLachlan actually made her Test debut in the middle at Saturday’s venue, albeit refereeing Samoa’s 34-15 win over Hong Kong China in the Asia Pacific Women’s Championship in May 2019.

• South Africa are also yet to win with McLachlan as referee, having lost 38-15 to Scotland in 2019 and 15-6 to Japan in a RWC 2021 warm-up match.

• This will be McLachlan’s third Test of the year, having also overseen Canada’s 50-12 victory over USA in the Pacific Four Series in Chicago in April.

• McLachlan was born in Canterbury, New Zealand but returned to rural New South Wales.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

2022-25 | Played 2 | Fiji 1 | South Africa 1

Points for: Fiji 33 / South Africa 72 (Avg. score: 16-36)

Highest score: Fiji 21 (21-17 on 16 October, 2022)/South Africa 55 (55-12 on 8 August, 2026)

Biggest winning margin: Fiji 4 (21-17 on 16 October, 2022)/South Africa 43 (55-12 on 8 August,

2026)

• South Africa ran in 10 tries for their first win over Fiji at the second attempt.

• Eight different players crossed the whitewash, with loose-head prop Xoliswa Khuzwayo the only player to score multiple tries (two).

• South Africa’s other try-scorers were Nombuyekezo Mdliki, Lindelwa Gwala, Vainah Ubisi, Sizophila Solontsi, Maceala Samboya, Bryhandrè Dolf and Sinelitha Noxeke.

• Debutant Adi Vani Buleki and Varanisese Qoro responded for Fiji, who lost No 8 Alfreda Fisher to a 20-minute red card.

• The Suva encounter was their first meeting since 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, against 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.

TEAM NOTES

• The 55-12 defeat to South Africa – head coach Willie Walker’s first match in charge – was Fiji’s heaviest outside of a Women’s Rugby World Cup since they lost 59-15 to Scotland in Edinburgh in September 2024.

• Flyhalf Varanisese Qoro’s try against South Africa made her Fiji’s leading points scorer this year (28), edging her ahead of winger Aqela Raitubu, whose 25 points have all come from tries.

• Qoro’s other points came in the 85-5 win over Tonga (a try and nine conversions), which kick-started their Oceania Rugby Women’s Championship title defence on home soil in April.

• Qoro only missed one shot at goal against Tonga, a match which featured braces for Aqela Raitubu and Ivamere Nabura Rokowati.

• Fiji then powered past Samoa in the first women’s Test match to be played in Ba eight days later to successfully defend their title.

• Six of their nine tries came in the second half, including a hat-trick for Aqela Raitubu.

• 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.

• This two Test series is followed by a one-off Test against Japan in Fukuoka on 4 September. Fiji will then face Spain (13 September), hosts Hong Kong China (19 September) and the Netherlands (26 September) in the WXV Global Series Challenger 2026.

• SQUAD NOTES

• Fiji handed Test debuts to centre Ruth Raketekete and wing Adi Vani Buleki in last weekend’s defeat to South Africa.

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

• Scrumhalf Kolora Lomani captained 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 a week last 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 have won five of their six Tests this year, with their only defeat being a 26-19 loss to the USA in the second of their two-test series with the Women’s Eagles.

• The Springbok Women have scored 252 points in 2026, at an average of 42 per game.

• Only 24 of South Africa’s 41 tries in 2026 have been converted (58.5%).

• Twenty-six different players have crossed the whitewash this year, with Alichia Arries and Logan Welman leading the way with five apiece.

• South Africa scored more points against USA than ever before and posted their biggest winning margin in winning the first Test 34-21.

• 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 scored 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.

• The Springbok Women 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 Tshauke 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 as part of 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 heading home to face Ireland in Cape Town on 24 and 31 October.

SQUAD NOTES

• Flyhalf Libbie Janse van Rensburg became the 12th player to captain the Springbok Women since their first Test in 2004 when she deputised for Babalwa Latsha.

• Shiniqwa Lamprecht made her Test debut for South Africa in the first match against Fiji and became cap #194 for the Springbok Women.

• That leaves Maria Tshiremba as the only uncapped member of the 26-strong touring squad for this series and she will make her debut on Saturday on the wing.

• Four players made their first appearances of 2026 in the 55-12 victory in hooker Lindelwa Gwala, number eight Aseza Hele, winger Patience Mokone and centre Zintle Mpupha.

• Lindelwa Gwala is in line to win her 40th cap for South Africa this weekend.

• The Springbok Women will be without Lerato Makua and Eloise Webb for the second Test with Fiji due to injuries picked up this week.

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

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 highestever World Rugby Women’s Ranking of 10th.

DID YOU KNOW …?

• Fiji and South Africa are playing for the inaugural Ubuntu–Bula Trophy.

WORLD RUGBY WOMEN’S RANKINGS PERMUTATIONS

• South Africa cannot improve on their current ranking of 10th with a maximum of 0.26 rating points available for victory in Lautoka.

• A beaten Fiji will remain 13th but could see their advantage over Spain cut to 0.08 points.

• Fiji will move above Wales to a new high of 12th if they are victorious, condemning Wales to their lowest position since the rankings were introduced in February 2016.

• South Africa will only drop a place to 11th if they are beaten by more than 15 points.

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