WXV tournament set to be groundbreaking for women's rugby
In a groundbreaking moment for women’s world rugby, the inaugural WXV competition is set to commence this weekend, with South Africa proudly hosting the second tier. This thrilling competition features six formidable teams – South Africa, USA, Italy, Scotland, Japan, and Samoa. In a cross-pool format, these teams will vie for glory in one designated location, which will be selected annually. The stakes are high, as the sixth-placed team in WXV2 will be relegated to WXV3.
South Africa's Challenge
South Africa finds itself grouped with Japan and the USA, pitting their skills against the teams from the opposite pool – Scotland, Italy, and Samoa. Their campaign begins this weekend as they face Scotland at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch at 16:30. The next chapter unfolds the following weekend against Italy at Athlone Stadium, with their final match against Samoa scheduled for October 27, also at Athlone Stadium.
The format of the WXV
Meanwhile, in the WXV1 division, the top six ranked teams globally, including New Zealand, Canada, Australia, England, France, and Wales, will lock horns on October 21, 28, and November 4. In this inaugural year, there is no threat of relegation; however, future editions are expected to introduce a relegation system for the bottom-placed team from WXV1 and a promotion system for the victor of WXV2, with a similar structure envisioned for WXV2 and WXV3.
On a parallel front, the action in the WXV3 competition will also commence this weekend, featuring a spirited lineup of six teams competing in a cross-pool format. These teams include Spain, Ireland, Fiji, Kenya, Colombia, and Kazakhstan. WXV3 will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates, with all matches set to unfold in the vibrant city of Dubai.
#ICYMI The captains gathered for the @WXVRugby photo session at @KirstenboschNBG and it featured our very own @BabalwaLatsha pic.twitter.com/N7o04ndwpL
— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) October 11, 2023
Springboks in Preparation Mode
The Springbok Women have dedicated weeks to meticulous preparation, including several test matches in Cape Town, designed to fine-tune their skills for the highly-anticipated WXV2 event. Their journey included four tests, securing victories against Kenya (77-12) and San Clemente Rhinos (22-17), a challenging loss to the Barbarians Women (26-38), and an electrifying draw with Manusina Samoa (17-17).
There was nothing to separate the #BokWomen and @Manusina_SWR on the scoreboard after 80 minutes of tough Test rugby in Hermanus - match report: https://t.co/Nyog2yXwJB 😬#MakeItCount #WXV @FNBSA pic.twitter.com/kPh7oDMT2L
— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) October 7, 2023
The Springbok Women Team
For their opening clash against Scotland, the Springbok Women have infused the squad with key players who previously showcased their talents in the Rugby World Cup earlier this year. Notably, Tayla Kinsey, Aseza Hele, Lindelwa Gwala, and Sanelisiwe Charlie will make up the starting lineup this Friday against Scotland, collectively bringing more than 80 tests worth of experience to the team.
Springbok Women’s head coach, Louis Koen, confirmed their strategy to rotate a pool of 30 players across the three scheduled matches. However, for the opening showdown, the selected squad represents the team’s best shot at overcoming Scotland. Coach Koen emphasized that their overarching objective is the Rugby World Cup 2025, with the priority being to accumulate invaluable experience within the squad. The match against Scotland will kick off at 16:30 and will be broadcast live on Supersport.
ICYMI: The #BokWomen team that will take on Scotland in the first round of @WXVRugby on Friday 💥#MakeItCount pic.twitter.com/6HZNtf7k6U
— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) October 11, 2023
Springbok Women Squad vs. Scotland: Starting Lineup
– 15. Chuma Qawe
– 14. Maceala Samboya
– 13. Veroeshka Grain
– 12. Piwokuhle Nyanda
– 11. Shaunique Hess
– 10. Libbie Janse van Rensburg (vice-captain)
– 9. Tayla Kinsey
– 8. Aseza Hele
– 7. Sinazo Mcatshulwa
– 6. Lusanda Dumke
– 5. Danelle Lochner
– 4. Vainah Ubisi
– 3. Babalwa Latsha (captain)
– 2. Lindelwa Gwala
– 1. Sanelisiwe Charlie
Replacements:
– 16. Roseline Botes
– 17. Yonela Ngxingolo
– 18. Amber Schonert
– 19. Nolusindiso Booi (vice-captain)
– 20. Catha Jacobs
– 21. Micke Gunter
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