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Xoliswa Khuzwayo: Springbok Women embrace their ‘underdog’ status
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Springbok Women prop Xoliswa Khuzwayo has admitted that her team don’t mind being called the “underdogs”.
It has now been a year since South Africa stunned the world with their run to the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 quarter-finals and established themselves as a team to watch across the current World Cup cycle.
At the start of the year South Africa admitted that their aim is not to move further up the World Rugby rankings.
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Currently ranked 10th, the side have been challenged at WXV Global Series and started their autumn campaign with a loss to Wales in Cardiff, before they got back to winning ways with a 41-27 win against Italy in Pordenone.
This Sunday they take on a Spain side, fresh from a third-place finish at the WXV Global Series Challenger in Hong Kong, in Seville.
Khuzwayo said: “Amongst the top 10 we are still the underdogs, but that is something we don’t mind being called. We are okay with that tag. We know what we know and where we are going.”
It was two years ago that Khuzwayo made her international debut against Spain in Valladolid.
Two trips around the sun later, the prop has represented her country at a Women’s Rugby World Cup and won two Rugby Africa Women’s Cup titles.
Earlier this summer, the 27-year-old started in the Springbok Women’s tour whitewash of Fiji.
Regularly competing with Yonela Ngxingolo and Saneliswe Charlie for a slot in the matchday 23, Khuzwayo knows she has her work cut out for selection but will rise to the occasion if called upon this weekend.
“I am a much more experienced player than last time, so that will make a difference,” she said.
“Also, it gives one confidence that you have played at this level for a while now, as last time I was starting in my first Test.
“The other thing is that we have grown as a team as well, we are now in the top ten and competing against the number twos and fives of this world, so you have to deliver when you get your opportunity.
“We also know that if we work hard at training, the coaches will reward that.”
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