Springbok Women 7s Pool B fixtures (SA times, all matches live on SuperSport):
Friday 29 May
10h22: USA
14h29: Australia
Saturday 30 May
10h00: Fiji
Blitzboks Pool A fixtures (SA times, all matches live on SuperSport):
Friday 29 May
12h34: Great Britain
17h08: Kenya
Saturday, 29 May
13h23: Australia
All the (fake) chat around the SA URC sides leaving the European Challenge and Champions Cup made me wonder how we can restructure the landscape in SA to (possibly) make more sense.
For my scenario I am assuming that our 4 teams stay in the URC and European cups. It is wehere the money is at. URC has been a great success. And I am of the opinion that with time and small tweaks to the European Cups, we will eventually find our feet.
In any case, back to the point; My ideal scenario would be if our 4 URC / main clubs, do not partake in the Currie Cup anymore. The uncertainty of when the best team wil be available or not takes away a lot from the Currie Cup and sometimes seems unfair to the teams that have been grinding the whole competition. I would then scratch the SA Cup and have the 10 teams form the new Currie Cup with a round robin home and away schedule. Top 4 after 18 games play semi finals.
This would then open the door to have the 10 “Tier 2” teams form a affiliation with the URC squads to share players either way. Lets say someone only played a few games for the Stormers in the URC, they can then be loaned to Boland to play in the Currie Cup.
My draft version of how teams can form affiliate regions are:
Stormers; Boland, SWD Eagles
Cheetahs (or Cats type franchise, sorry Lions!); Lions, Griquas, Griffons, Leopards
Shark; Eastern Province, Border Bulldogs
Bulls; Pumas, Valke
This keeps our “Tier 2” teams busy and could likely save the Currie Cup in a way where it is not dilluted and filled with SA cup rematches or weakens top 4 franchises. Out URC teams can then solely focus on the 2 competitions they are involved in. And above all else. This can be held at any time of the year irrespective of whether the Springboks or URC is in action.
Just my fun thought experiment to get me through the week.
Great idea hosting it at schools rather than at City Park (as originally planned). However, changing the last round from the Sunday to the Saturday is a bit dof as there is a direct clash with the URC quarter-finals. Luckily it will be up on BokTube, so easy enough to watch later.
"This isn’t about criticising school rugby, there’s good and bad, and others have written extensively about that already. What I am interested in are the real consequences on the ground, and about what comes next..."
https://www.kickoff.com/rugby/the-bomb-squad/oom-rugby-it-s-time-for-change-in-schoolboy-rugby
Was thinking about this a bit and was playing around with potential calendar schedules and how it would look like if we left EPCR Champions Cup and focus on reviving the Currie Cup again as like in football they have the FA Cup and playing with that Idea of making the Currie Cup our FA Cup kind of thing. And this is sort of the schedule I came up, using the 2025/26 season as an example.
The formats of the competitions are also the current formats of each competition.
Would like to hear what you guys think.
Cardiff bulls final at loftus
Bulls to have a last minute penalty but Pollard misses it to save welsh rugby
4 different winners in 4 years from 3 countries
What are your predictions for the URC knockouts this weekend ? Will there be some upsets ? 👀
With what I’ve seen over the last 4 games, I’m asking myself the same question every time I see something related to the Stormers
Can we get to At least the final? Nel is out and now Fourie. Dobson basically confused with tactics and lineup and it’s genuinely confusing
Does anyone think the Stormers have it?
Also as fans I don’t think we should be ranting about the bad ( unless we really fumbled like Cardiff’s game) We have a home quarter final hopefully that can bring em back up.
A very exciting mix of experience (9 players from the WC 2025), some returning from the fringe (8 previously capped players) and youth (9 uncapped players, 4 of whom just played some excellent rugby in the u20 Women's Week).
As with last year's Africa Cup, Swys will stay in Stellenbosch with a core group to work on S&C, while Laurian and Franzel take the reins in Kenya. And of course the 7s Women are not available due to the last 2 World Championship tournaments at the end of May and beginning of June.
With the 2 USA tests and Black Ferns game coming up and a bumper fixture list for the rest of the year we are certainly going to need all the depth we can get. Can't wait for this season to get started!
Springbok Women squad:
Props:
Yonela Ngxingolo (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 39 caps, 20 points (4 tries)
Xoliswa Khuzwayo (Golden Lions Women) – 9 caps, 0 points
Nombuyekezo Mdliki (Border Ladies) – 9 caps, 0 points
Thandile Mazwi (DHL Western Province) – uncapped
Sanelisiwe Charlie (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 29 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
Anuschka Ekron (DHL Western Province) – 3 caps, 0 points
Hookers:
Roseline Botes (DHL Western Province) – 24 caps, 8 tries (40 points)
Anushka Groenewald (DHL Western Province) – 3 caps, 0 points
Locks:
Abigail Smit (DHL Western Province) – uncapped
Nomsa Mokwai (DHL Western Province) – 13 caps, 0 points
Anathi Qolo (captain, Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 11 caps, 5 points (1 try)
Zethu Gcaza (Border Ladies) – uncapped****
Loose forwards:
Nobuhle Mjwara (Sharks Women) – 3 caps, 5 points (1 try)
Faith Tshauke (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 4 caps, 15 points (3 tries)
Sinelitha Noxeke (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 2 caps, 0 points
Ntsako Mbombi (Golden Lions Women) – uncapped
Logan Welman (DHL Western Province) – uncapped
Scrumhalves:
Insaaf Levy (DHL Western Province) – uncapped
Anacadia Minnaar (EP Queens) – 3 caps, 3 points (1 penalty goal)
Flyhalves:
Mary Zulu (Sharks Women) – 15 caps, 40 points (20 conversions)
Thami Yeko (EP Queens) – uncapped
Inside backs:
Aphiwe Ngwevu (Border Ladies) – 30 caps, 70 points (14 tries)
Jakkie Cilliers (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 21 caps, 103 points (9 tries, 23 conversions, 4 penalty goals)
Naima Hlatshwayo (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – uncapped
Outside backs:
Nomawethu Mabenge (Sanlam Boland Dames) – 21 caps, 80 points (16 tries)
Alichia Arries (DHL Western Province) – 2 caps, 0 points
Shaunique Alexander (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – uncapped
Chuma Qawe (Isuzu Bulls Daisies) – 14 caps, 2 points (1 conversion)
