The Springbok Women showed good progress over the last five weeks, learned valuable lessons on their way and will enter next month's WXV 2 tournament well prepared and as ready as can be.
It will be a reunion of sorts for Catha Jacobs at Athlone Stadium on Saturday when the Springbok Women No 8 lines up for her country against the Barbarians in what she believes will be a highly entertaining match to watch.
The Springbok Women will be looking for a few important outcomes when they face Kenya at the University of the Western Cape Rugby Club on Saturday and for the team’s captain on the day, Babalwa Latsha, a number of building blocks will have to put in place for both teams in the clash.
Springbok Women interim head coach Louis Koen handed Unathi Mali a first start for the national team at wing and recalled outside backs Veroeshka Grain and Piwokuhle Nyanda to the side to face Kenya at UWC Rugby Club in Cape Town on Saturday.
The Springbok Women have been hard at work over the last couple of weeks and cannot wait to have their efforts tested in a match, so they are keenly anticipating Saturday's Test against Kenya in Cape Town.
The Springbok Women will face the world famous and star-studded Barbarians Women in Cape Town in two weeks’ time, while also playing Test matches against Kenya and Samoa as part of their preparations for the WXV 2 tournament in October.
In a boost to the management of the Springbok Women, the experienced Franzel September has been added to the team’s coaching staff, joining Laurian Johannes-Haupt as assistant to interim head coach Louis Koen.
The Springbok Women will face Scotland and Italy – both ranked in the top-10 – in their opening matches of WXV 2 in the Western Cape in October, and they will play Samoa in a historic first Test match between the two countries in South Africa.
A large group of players – including seven who are uncapped at senior international level – will assemble in Stellenbosch from Friday as Springbok Women interim head coach Louis Koen gets the ball rolling for their WXV preparation with an alignment camp at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport.
A repeat of the 2022 final, the return of a couple of Springbok Women’s players and must-win matches for some teams highlight the fifth round of the Women’s Premier Division, with three bog encounters scheduled for Saturday.