SA Rugby confirmed on Wednesday that OPPO, one the world’s leading technology brands, has joined the family of sponsors as new Official Handset Partner to the Springboks and the governing body.
The Springbok Women have clear objectives they want to achieve on their two-Test tour to Spain and according to interim coach Louis Koen, they hope to return to South Africa early next month with an understood and established playing identity.
Last year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand did not deliver the desired results for the Springbok Women, but that did not in any way deter the passion and drive in the group to keep growing and improving as a squad.
As the 14 players present at the Springbok training camp in Cape Town in the last three weeks wrapped up their activities in Stellenbosch on Friday, Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber announced that he would host alignment sessions over two days with another eight players in Cape Town this weekend.
SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus said on Wednesday he was pleased with the strides made by the Rugby Department in the last few years as the respective divisions continue to put in the hard yards to contribute to successful national teams, as well as refereeing and coaching structures.
Former Springbok flyhalf and SA Rugby’s High-Performance Manager Louis Koen has been appointed as interim head coach of the Springbok Women’s team for their tour to Spain later this month, with Junior Springbok Women’s coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt taking the reins as assistant coach on the trip.
Nolusindiso Booi will lead a Springbok Women squad with eight potential debutants to Europe later this month – including a number of younger players and a former South African netball player – for Tests against Canada and Spain in Madrid.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber expressed his satisfaction with the strides made at their physical and rugby development camp in Cape Town and said they were ticking the desired boxes, as the second week of the camp concluded on Friday.
Springbok Women prop Babalwa Latsha has joined Allianz Premiership club Harlequins Women until the end of their 2023 season for what will be her second stint playing club rugby abroad.
A long haul flight on your way to a Test debut can feel like it lasts forever, especially if that first appearance for your country was the a culmination of a lifetime of hard work and sacrifices, just ask Travis Ismaiel.