The Chasm Beneath the Glory: South African Rugby’s Unfinished Story

While the Springboks bask in their unparalleled success, a closer look reveals a significant and systemic challenge within South African rugby: the stark disparity in development and support for its women`s national team. It’s a tale of two worlds, one at the summit, the other striving to ascend against considerable odds.

Photo: Getty Images

The Golden Illusion and the Cold Reality

On one hand, South Africa`s men`s rugby team has firmly cemented its status as a global powerhouse, clinching the Rugby Championship and securing consecutive World Cup titles. Their dominance is unquestionable, a source of immense national pride.

Conversely, the women`s team has shown commendable progress, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2025 Rugby World Cup. A significant achievement, certainly. Yet, beneath this veneer of dual success lies a chasm that numerical ratings reveal with unflinching clarity: a staggering 20.58-point gap between the men`s and women`s teams in South Africa. To put this in perspective, the next closest nation, Ireland, has a disparity of `only` 11.13 points. This isn`t merely a statistic; it`s a testament to a deeply entrenched systemic imbalance.

“The potential for growth within our ranks is immense,” noted Sweis de Bruin, the head coach of the women`s national team, following their challenging encounter with New Zealand. His optimism is palpable, yet the path to truly realizing this potential remains long and arduous, demanding fundamental structural reforms.

The Singular Pillar: When Dominance Becomes a Handicap

Problem 1: A Solitary Professional Beacon

Since its inception as the country`s sole professional women`s rugby outfit in 2023, the “Bulls Daisies” from Pretoria have established an almost comical level of supremacy on the domestic front. Their record speaks volumes: 37 victories in 38 matches, three consecutive championship titles, and an average season-winning margin of +61 points in 2025. One might assume this is a healthy sign of a burgeoning talent pool.

However, as Daisies and national team player Jackie Cilliers wisely observes, “We need other teams to catch up. When you operate at the highest level but face no real competition, you cease to grow.” This paradox highlights a critical issue: a national team drawing 13 of its 23 quarter-final squad members from a single, overwhelmingly dominant club might showcase individual talent, but it simultaneously exposes a severe lack of competitive depth across the nation. Growth, true growth, flourishes in the crucible of sustained competition, not in unchallenged reign.

The Unveiled Weakness: When Power Becomes Predictable

Problem 2: The Monochromatic Attack

The South African women`s team has, by necessity and perhaps design, adopted a power-centric rugby style. This involves robust forward surges, leveraging the formidable leadership of players like Aseza Hele, and applying pressure through tight, short-phase attacks. This strategy proved highly effective against Italy and in the initial phases against New Zealand. But, like any singular approach, it has its limits.

Once opposing defenses adapt to this direct onslaught, the attack often falters. Relying solely on brute force, however impressive, lacks the strategic nuance required at the elite level. The team desperately needs to broaden its attacking palette, introducing more width, variability, and genuine creativity to complement their formidable physicality. A potential solution could be the strategic redeployment of Libby Janse van Rensburg from fly-half to center. Her blend of power, vision, and precise passing could be the catalyst for unlocking new attacking dimensions, providing the crucial link play currently missing in the team`s mid-field.

The Sporadic Showdowns: The Absence of a Consistent Proving Ground

Problem 3: Irregular Tests and a Tournament Vacuum

Victories against formidable opponents like Italy and the spirited contest against New Zealand unequivocally demonstrate the Springbok Women`s capacity to compete with the world`s elite. Yet, their international calendar remains frustratingly fragmented, characterized by extended lulls between high-stakes matches. This stop-start rhythm is detrimental to player development, strategic refinement, and team cohesion.

The ideal solution, widely mooted, is the establishment of a consistent, high-intensity Southern Hemisphere tournament encompassing South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and the Pacific Island nations. Should this prove logistically unfeasible, exploring participation in existing European competitions, such as the Women`s Nations Cup, perhaps with a split-continent fixture list, presents a compelling alternative. Such regular exposure to diverse playing styles, varied refereeing standards, and the sustained intensity of top-tier rugby is precisely what the Springbok Women need to bridge the experiential gap.

The Global Classroom: Learning Beyond Borders

Problem 4: A Dearth of Elite League Experience

While the Bulls Daisies` domestic dominance is notable, it cannot replicate the invaluable experience gained from playing in elite professional leagues abroad, such as England`s Premiership Women`s Rugby (formerly Premier 15s). This league, for instance, contributed an astonishing 129 players to the 2025 Rugby World Cup, including stars from England, Canada, and Wales.

Crucially, several South African players have already taken this leap: Zintle Mpupha at Exeter, Babalwa Latsha, Aseza Hele, and Danelle Lochner at Harlequins, and Catha Jacobs at Saracens and Leicester. Their motivation is clear: “Everything I learn in England, I want to bring home,” Latsha once stated, “I want to help our rugby grow.” These returning athletes indeed bring a new echelon of analytical skill, physical conditioning, and decision-making prowess. For this critical influx of knowledge to benefit the national setup comprehensively, South Africa needs to establish official, structured channels to facilitate players` participation in these elite overseas leagues, ensuring that experience gained abroad translates directly into domestic growth and national team excellence.

Towards a Unified Future

South African women`s rugby has undeniably made colossal strides. The passion, the talent, and the will to succeed are abundantly present. However, until the system evolves beyond reliance on a single professional team, episodic international fixtures, and limited pathways for elite experience, the aspiration of truly catching up to the “men`s world” will remain tantalizingly out of reach. The chasm can be bridged, but it demands not just effort, but profound, systemic investment and a strategic vision that embraces competition, innovation, and global collaboration.

— End of Article —