Springbok Women ready to play the world's 'best' at WXV

The Springbok Women are relishing the opportunity to take on the world’s best in the WXV Global Series.

On Friday night, South Africa start their autumn campaign against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park. In the weeks after, the Springbok Women will play Test matches against Italy, Spain and then a two-Test series against Ireland in Cape Town.

Coming into the WXV Global Series, South Africa have played plenty of rugby. In the summer alone, the side enjoyed two-Test series against the USA Women’s Eagles and Fiji, as well as a one-off clash with the Black Ferns as part of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. They won three of those Tests and lost two.

Now led by co-coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September following the departure of Swys de Bruin as head coach, the side are eagerly anticipating their latest fixture of 2026.

“We wanted to be part of the WXV Global Series for a reason, and the main one was the opportunity to play the best teams in the world,” Johannes-Haupt said.

“That opportunity starts on Friday. It will be tough. Wales is also a forward-dominating team, like us, so it will be an interesting match-up.”

There has been a late change to the Springbok Women squad. Ahead of their departure from Cape Town, Anacadia Minnaar was unable to make the trip and Felicia Jacobs was drafted in.

The 28-year-old scrum-half played in both of the Springbok Women’s Tests against Fiji in August. Jacobs made her Springbok Women debut against Wales in 2019.

After training in the pouring rain at Cardiff Metropolitan University on Monday, attentions are firmly on securing a first win against Wales since 2010.

“Look, there is nothing you can do about the weather and it is going to be like this for the rest of the week, so the earlier we adapt, the better,” she said.

“We trained in sunshine before we came over, but this is not the end of the world. We have an opportunity to take on a class team like Wales and that is something we will be embracing this week.”