Ireland ready to 'embrace challenge' of second-ever meeting with South Africa

Ireland head coach Scott Bemand is confident that Ireland are ready to “embrace the challenge” of the nation’s second-ever meeting with the Springbok Women.

The last time the two teams played was two decades ago. That afternoon Ireland were 37-0 winners in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2006 group stages.

Neve Jones will earn her 50th cap for Ireland in the fixture. The Gloucester Hartpury hooker starts in the front-row alongside Linda Djougang and Eilís Cahill.

Jane Clohessy partners Dorothy Wall at lock, Brittany Hogan takes up the No.8 jersey with Aoife Wafer out injured and is joined by captain Erin King and Fiona Tuite-O’Sullivan in the back-row.

Emily Lane and Dannah O’Brien are named as the half-back partnership. Aoife Dalton and Anna McGann combine in the midfield, while Robyn O’Connor, Béibhinn Parsons and Stacey Flood form the back three.

To start WXV Global Series 2026, Ireland had mixed fortunes. They started the autumn with a 40-36 loss to the USA Women’s Eagles, before getting back to winning ways against Japan in Galway. An out-of-window win against the Sakura Fifteen in Cork a week later will have steadied the ship a little more.

Scott Bemand, Ireland head coach, said: “We have reset well after the recent home block of fixtures and are ready to embrace the challenge of playing away from home. The squad have worked incredibly hard since arriving here in Cape Town last week, and there is a real determination to continue to evolve and develop our game during this tour.

“Testing ourselves in difficult environments against top-quality opposition is vital to our development, and we want to see that resilience and character come through in our performance on Saturday. We know the challenge South Africa will bring, but we are excited by the opportunity.”

Ireland matchday 23 v South Africa | WXV Global Series 2026

15. Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC/Leinster, 31 caps)
14. Béibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College/Connacht, 38 caps)
13. Anna McGann (Railway Union RFC/Connacht, 20 caps)
12. Aoife Dalton (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, 36 caps)
11. Robyn O’Connor (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, 6 caps)
10. Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, 38 caps)
9. Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC/Munster, 28 caps)
1. Linda Djougang (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, 60 caps)
2. Neve Jones (Gloucester Hartpury, 49 caps)
3. Eilís Cahill (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster, 7 caps)
4. Jane Clohessy (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster, 3 caps)
5. Dorothy Wall (Exeter Chiefs, 44 caps)
6. Fiona Tuite-O’Sullivan (Old Belvedere RFC/Ulster, 28 caps)
7. Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC/Leinster, 15 caps, captain)
8. Brittany Hogan (Sale Sharks, 46 caps)

Replacements
16. Beth Buttimer (UL Bohemian RFC/Munster, 2 caps)
17. Niamh O’Dowd (Gloucester Hartpury, 25 caps)
18. Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC/Ulster, 24 caps)
19. Kate Jordan (Blackrock College/Leinster, 1 caps)
20. Grace Moore (Munster, 30 caps)
21. Jemima Adams Verling (Galwegians RFC/Connacht, 3 caps)
22. Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College RFC/Connacht, 22 caps)
23. Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC/Leinster, 39 caps)