Springbok hope high-intensity training can prepare squad for USA Tests

The Springbok Women are hoping that their high-intensity training can make up for a lack of game time in 2026.

This calendar year Swys de Bruin’s team have successfully defended their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup title in Kenya, but only selected nine players from their Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 squad.

For their two-Test series against the USA Women’s Eagles, De Bruin has named 22 players from last Autumn’s Women’s Rugby World Cup as they prepare to take on a team that have had game-time against Canada, New Zealand and Australia this year in Pacific Four Series competition.

“They played at a high level and we did not, but having said that, we tried to push the intensity at our training sessions in recent weeks to emulate that of what one can expect in test matches,” Franzel September, Springbok Women assistant coach, said.

“It is not quite the same, but we will be ready for them, should they want to engage in a fast and flowing match.

“Most of our players were exposed to the Pick n Pay Women’s Super League, some played overseas and a handful just returned from sevens, and something we needed to do, was to get everyone on the same page and intensity and I think it went well this far.”

For the back-to-back Tests against the Eagles, the Springboks will be without Nadine Roos, Sinazo Mcatshulwa, Lindelwa Gwala, Aseza Hele, Donelle Snyders, Naima Hlatshwayo and Chumisa Qawe.

Without seven front-line players that were key members of last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup run to the quarter-final, there is an opportunity for players to step up.

One such player is Byrhandré Dolf. This season the 22-year-old has plied her trade in HSBC SVNS competition for Cecil Afrika’s South Africa Women’s Sevens squad.

A stretch playing the shortened format of the game has kept the playmaker sharp between Test matches.

“One thing I am most happy about from recently playing sevens again, was the habit and need of creating and finding space,” Dolf said.

“I felt my footwork and acceleration benefitted from that. Coming back to fifteens now, the space is obviously much less, but I am happy that I added some stepping and elusiveness to my game because of the sevens.

“So, I am ready to use that to my advantage when I play in a test match again.”