'A victory worth celebrating': What Springbok Women leave World Cup with

Three years ago, when South Africa were dumped out of the World Cup in 2022, they had little choice but to celebrate the small wins. They sang and danced after England trounced them 75-0 in their final group game, their third loss across a sorry tournament. Still, there were small victories and so they celebrated.

They celebrated the retirement of Zenay Jordaan and their mere presence at the tournament. They celebrated their journeys and they celebrated their families. They celebrated their four weeks in New Zealand and they celebrated what they represented. But they could not celebrate their rugby. On that front, there was nothing to celebrate.

On Saturday, after their 46-17 loss to New Zealand in Exeter, they again celebrated the small wins. They celebrated the retiring Nolusindiso Booi, who, at 40-years-old, is finally hanging up her boots. They celebrated their journeys and their families and their presence and their continued fight for recognition in South Africa.

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe receives Women’s Top 50 award

New Zealand Women’s superstar Portia Woodman-Wickliffe spoke to RugbyPass after receiving the prestigious, inaugural RugbyPass Women’s Top 50 award this week.

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Portia Woodman-Wickliffe receives Women’s Top 50 award

New Zealand Women’s superstar Portia Woodman-Wickliffe spoke to RugbyPass after receiving the prestigious, inaugural RugbyPass Women’s Top 50 award this week.

View Top 50

But this time they had something else to celebrate. This time they could take stock in the sensational rugby they’d played. The Springboks had not merely filled a gap in the roster to serve as cannon fodder for the truly elite teams. This time the Springboks had shown up and sent ripples across the tournament.

They kept the reigning world champions scoreless across the first 20 minutes of their quarter final and were the first to score after sustained pressure from their indomitable pack. This was not a try against the run of play. Make no mistake, the South Africans dominated the first quarter of the match. They bossed the gain line, owned the breakdown and were camped in New Zealand’s 22 thanks to a string of penalties won at the scrum and on the floor.

When Babalwa Latsha powered over from close range she let out a roar. Not because she was surprised or relieved, but because it was just reward for her team’s efforts.

South Africa then twice shot themselves in the foot to allow New Zealand a path back in the game. Libbie Janse van Rensburg, assured elsewhere, dallied with a clearing kick on her own try line and had her hoof charged down. Shortly after, Byrhandré Dolf faffed in her own red zone and was bundled over the line for a Black Ferns scrum five metres out. Both mistakes ended in tries to the opposition.

But South Africa kept their composure with ball in hand. And when Sanelisiwe Charlie crunched over just before the half-time break, the Boks entered the sheds locked at 10-10 with the most dominant team in women’s rugby history.

It was a scoreline that brought profound shock and immense pride. Not that the Springboks were shocked with themselves. They had earned this. But because of the rupture of expectation. They were not meant to be level. They were not supposed to make the champions sweat. Yet here they were, controlling the game on their terms.

Of course, New Zealand found another gear. They always do. The blitz came right after the restart: three tries in seven minutes that reminded everyone why the Black Ferns have an unrivalled trophy haul. South Africa’s defensive wall began to crack under the relentless tempo and precision of a side accustomed to lifting titles.

And yet, even in the chaos of that second-half onslaught, South Africa showed invention. Nadine Roos was lifted in a 13-woman line-out which morphed into a 15-woman maul. It was rugby theatre, part defiance, part ingenuity, and when the mass of humanity thundered forward and crashed over the line, it spoke volumes about who this Springboks team has become. No longer just passengers, but architects of their own destiny.

Where New Zealand stretched the field with pace and ruthlessness, South Africa struck back with heft and cunning around the fringes. They battered their way up the middle, bullied the breakdown, and kept searching for ways to out-think as well as out-fight the champions. The margins in the end were wide – 46-17 is not a close scoreline – but the substance of the contest was very different to that lopsided 75-0 of three years ago.

The road ahead remains steep. Resources, structures, and depth still lag far behind the top nations. New Zealand’s extra gear is forged in years of elite competition back home and layered excellence that South Africa cannot yet match. But Saturday in Exeter was a glimpse of what is possible: a team punching above its weight and giving the world a reason to sit up and take notice.

For the Springbok Women, this World Cup exit was not a funeral march but a celebration, of growth, of courage, of rugby worth remembering.

Three years ago they sang and danced to hide the void left by defeat. This time, they sang and danced because they had filled that void with substance. This is how legacies are built: not in one giant leap, but in the accumulation of moments that once felt impossible.

Saturday’s quarter-final was one such moment. It ended in defeat, yes, but also in validation. South Africa can no longer be dismissed as outsiders making up the numbers. They are contenders in the making. That, in itself, is a victory worth celebrating.