SA Rugby to centrally contract up to 150 players for new women's league

When the Springbok Women beat Italy to qualify for their first ever Rugby World Cup quarter final back in September, fly-half Libbie Janse van Rensburg was famously caught on camera at the full time whistle crying: “Everything is changing now.” And indeed she might be right.

SA Rugby has been working tirelessly to expand opportunities for women’s players and to further professionalise the women’s game in South Africa, plans which have gained pace since the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Plans for a new Women’s Super League in South Africa were due to come into fruition this year, however, this fully professional competition is now expected to kick off in mid-2026 to allow for further planning and player development.

Bok star Libbie Janse van Rensburg on that iconic 15-player line-out

Bok star Libbie Janse van Rensburg on that iconic 15-player line-out

As reported by R365 last month, SA Rugby intends to centrally contract up to 150 players for this league, creating an unprecedented professional platform for women’s rugby in South Africa.

In an interview with R365, Cheetahs head coach Aschin Klein, a long-serving stalwart of the women’s game, believes the league is coming at the right time for the game.

“South Africa is putting a lot more emphasis on women’s rugby right now – it’s huge,” said Klein.

“I believe the Bok Women have inspired a lot of young girls. There’s this incredible energy – when you talk to them, they know about women’s rugby, they know what the Springbok Women achieved on the world stage.”

While finer details of the new league are still being ironed out, Klein has been assessing the demands of more competition, factoring in things such as player depth and what an expanded calendar might mean for his team.

“Throughout this year’s Premier Division – a non-promotion, non-relegation season – we used the competition to grow our squad. Everyone got game time so we could assess where we stand and what we still need.

“Next year’s schedule will be hectic: the Premier Division is expected to start on January 17, with semi finals and a Final in late March.

“After a two-month international window, likely for the Africa Cup, the Super League will run through to August, followed by another international break before the cycle starts again.”

Klein said that careful rotation and player management will be key to maintaining performance across both competitions.

“From a coaching point of view, you’ve got to plan smartly. The Super League will be demanding – it’s a fully professional competition – so ensuring player welfare and depth is critical. We have a solid plan in place to manage that.”

With only one team currently professional in the Premier Division- the Bulls Daisies, the jeopardy and competition within the league has faltered. However, Klein remains optimistic about the professionalisation of the Cheetahs Queens.

“We were close to turning professional,” he said. “I was finalising a possible sponsorship deal that could have made the women’s side fully professional.

“Even if I move on (when his contract expires in October), I hope the project continues. We’ve already laid the foundation. Last season, although technically amateur, we operated as a professional setup – matching the Bulls Daisies in training hours, squad size, and gym sessions.

“We might not have had all the fancy tools like GPS tracking, but everything else – preparation, planning, professionalism – was on the same level. With the right funding, the Cheetahs could become a dominant force in South African women’s rugby.”