Women’s Premier Division to start early in 2025

A bumper women’s rugby season kicks off unusually early in January next year as all eyes turn towards the Rugby World Cup in England in August and September.

The Bulls Daisies begin the defence of their Women’s Premier Division crown at the end of the first month of 2025 as SA Rugby adjusted the calendar to provide the best high performance flight path towards the World Cup.

The country’s top eight provincial women’s teams will play the competition over a single round with the final, to be contested by the two top teams on the log at the completion of the league phase, scheduled for Saturday, 28 March.

The early start and finish of the tournament will assist the Springbok Women in their preparations for game’s showpiece event, where they will face Brazil, Italy and France in their pool matches.

The team will ramp up their preparations after the domestic competition with a to Europe in April followed by the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup as part of next year’s international schedule.

“It’s great to have the fixtures out as that will greatly assist the teams to start preparing for the competition, which will be an important guideline for us in selection as well,” said Swys de Bruin, performance coach of the Springbok Women.

“We will be looking closely at each team to see if there are any players to be added to our group, while the established players are also getting valuable game time and will arrive in camp with good match fitness and conditioning.

“We want to thank SA Rugby and all the unions for their willingness to move the tournament this early, as it will boost our preparations for the Rugby World Cup.”

The Bulls Daisies, champions in 2023 and 2024, will travel to Nelson Mandela Bay for their opening round clash against the EP Queens, while the Border Ladies host the Sharks Women, Sanlam Boland Dames take on the Golden Lions Women and the runners up in the last two seasons, DHL Western Province, face off against the Free State Women.

Fixtures for the Women’s First Division, which was won this season by the SWD Eagirls, will be confirmed in due course.

In another boost to the profile of the tournament, SA Rugby’s broadcasting partner, SuperSport, is looking to broadcast at least one of the matches in every round as well as the final.

Women’s Premier Division 2025 fixtures (home sides named first, venues and kick-off times to be confirmed)

Round 1 (weekend of 25 January)

Border Ladies v Sharks Women

EP Queens v Bulls Daisies

Sanlam Boland Dames v Golden Lions Women

DHL Western Province v Free State Women

Round 2 (weekend of 1 February)

Border Ladies v Golden Lions Women

Bulls Daisies v DHL Western Province

Sharks Women v Free State Women

Sanlam Boland Dames v EP Queens

Round 3 (weekend of 8 February)

Sharks Women v EP Queens

Sanlam Boland Dames v Bulls Daisies

DHL Western Province v Border Ladies

Free State Women v Golden Lions Women

Round 4 (weekend of 15 February)

Border Ladies v Sanlam Boland Dames

Bulls Daisies v Sharks Women

EP Queens v Free State Women

Golden Lions Women v DHL Western Province

Round 5 (weekend of 1 March)

Bulls Daisies v Border Ladies

EP Queens v Golden Lions Women

Sharks Women v DHL Western Province

Free State Women v Sanlam Boland Dames

Round 6 (weekend of 8 March)

Sanlam Boland Dames v Sharks Women

DHL Western Province v EP Queens

Golden Lions Women v Bulls Daisies

Free State Women v Border Ladies

Round 7 (weekend of 21 March)

Border Ladies v EP Queens

Bulls Daisies v Free State Women

DHL Western Province v Sanlam Boland Dames

Golden Lions Women v Sharks Women

Final (28 March)