Springbok Women name 32-player squad for 'unreal' Rugby's Greatest Rivalry clash

The Springbok Women have named a 32-player training squad ahead of their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry clash with the Black Ferns next Saturday.

Next weekend’s fixture will form part of a doubleheader at Soweto’s FNB Stadium, with the Springbok Women and Black Ferns playing each other immediately before the third Test between the Springboks and All Blacks.

Yesterday the Springboks tied the series with a 33-26 win at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium. After Johannesburg, the Springboks and All Blacks will travel to Baltimore for the fourth Test.

Swys de Bruin’s squad contains 16 players from the match day 23 that took on New Zealand when the two teams last met; a quarter-final encounter at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.

After they missed South Africa’s two-match tour of Fiji in August, Sanelisiwe Charlie, Micke Gunter, Danelle Lochner, Logan Welman, Unam Tose, Jakkie Cilliers and Aphiwe Ngwevu are all included in the squad.

Nadine Roos, Sinazo Mcatshulwa, Eloise Webb and Anathi Qolo are all unavailable due to injury.

Babalwa Latsha, Springbok Women captain, said: “It is almost surreal to think we are only playing each other for the first time in South Africa on the occasion of a Test match in Rugby Greatest Rivalry between the Springboks and All Blacks.

“We certainly hope that this could be the start of something similar. We are slowly making our way into the top echelons of the game, which will allow us more matches against the Black Ferns. I think for both teams, to share such an occasion with their male counterparts, will be huge.”

Springbok Women training squad | Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry

Forwards
Babalwa Latsha (captain, DHL Western Province)
Xoliswa Khuzwayo (Golden Lions Women)
Sanelisiwe Charlie (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Yonela Ngxingolo (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Nombuyekezo Mdliki (Border Ladies)
Lindelwa Gwala (Sharks Women)
Micke Gunter (Leicester Tigers)
Anushka Groenewald (DHL Western Province)
Nomsa Mokwai (DHL Western Province)
Vainah Ubisi (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Danelle Lochner (Harlequins Women)
Sinelitha Noxeke (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Nobuhle Mjwara (Sharks Women)
Catha Jacobs (Golden Lions Women)
Sizophila Solontsi (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Aseza Hele (Sanlam Boland Dames)
Logan Welman (DHL Western Province)
Lerato Makua (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)

Backs
Unam Tose (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Anacadia Minnaar (EP Queens)
Felicia Jacobs (Sanlam Boland Dames)
Libbie Janse van Rensburg (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Aphiwe Ngwevu (Border Ladies)
Shiniqwa Lamprecht (Sanlam Boland Dames)
Zintle Mpupha (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Patience Mokone (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Ayanda Malinga (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Jakkie Cilliers (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Maceala Samboya (Sanlam Boland Dames)
Maria Tshiremba (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)
Alichia Arries (DHL Western Province)
Byrhandré Dolf (Isuzu Bulls Daisies)