Greatest Rivalry enters new territory in Soweto
EXCLUSIVE: The Greatest Rivalry is about to enter uncharted territory in Soweto this Saturday.
With the men’s series between South Africa and New Zealand locked at 1-1, all eyes will be on FNB Stadium this weekend. But this time, the rivalry carries an added significance as the Springbok Women prepare to face the Black Ferns on South African soil for the first time.
It is a historic occasion for both teams, who last met in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup quarterfinals in England.
The Black Ferns recorded a 46-17 victory over the Springbok Women, bringing an end to Swys de Bruin’s historic World Cup campaign, in which South Africa reached the quarterfinals for the first time.
The Springbok Women sit at 10th in the World Rugby Rankings with 72.46 points and face a formidable Black Ferns side ranked second (91.60 points).
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“You are not No.1 and No 2 for no reason,” Springbok Women head coach De Bruin told Rugby365.
“They have an incredible sustainable system for years.”
Despite the eventual quarterfinal defeat, the Springbok Women produced one of the biggest surprises of the tournament by holding the six-time World Cup champions to a 10-10 scoreline at half-time.
De Bruin believes the performance showed what his side can do when they execute their plans effectively.
“What happened in the World Cup, we outsmarted them in a few departments and we shocked them. They couldn’t believe it was 10-all at half-time,” De Bruin stated.
“They’re going to prepare to move us around a lot.
“And that’s one department that I hope we’ve improved on, is to move better.”
*Also read: Springbok Women squad for Black Ferns
De Bruin knows the Springbok Women will have to be at their best defensively against a Black Ferns side renowned for its ability to attack from anywhere on the field.
“They’re masters of the counter-attack and then ball in hand.
“They have this thing where they do quick ball recycling and take you from end to end very quickly.
“So, we’ve got two options: we must just keep the ball more and then we don’t have to tackle as much, or we’ve just got to improve our defensive systems a lot.”
De Bruin also praised assistant coach Franzel September for his work in improving the team’s defensive structures ahead of the historic encounter.
“I must say I’m very proud of assistant coach Franzel September and the work that he’s doing defensively. The systems are improving day by day.”
The former Lions coach De Bruin revealed being part of the Greatest Rivalry represents a major opportunity for the Bok Women and a moment to showcase women’s rugby on one of South Africa’s biggest sporting stages.
“It’s such an honour and a fantastic opportunity.
“In Joburg, in that stadium, I’ve been there with teams over the years when I was at my franchise with the Lions years back. It’s a special place.
“And although there’s a gap between us and the men’s team, we’ll see how many people come out because it’s a fantastic day and event there.
“I want to thank [CEO of SA Rugby] Rian Oberholzer and [President of SA Rugby] Mark Alexander for giving our girls the opportunity to play in that stadium.
“The first Greatest Rivalry in women’s rugby ever at FNB Stadium in Soweto.”
