Why Bok Women v Black Ferns makes Greatest Rivalry 'extra special'
EXCLUSIVE: The 2026 season is shaping up to be an incredible one for the Springbok Women.
The Bok Women will host the USA in a two-Test series at Ellis Park on July 4 and Loftus Versfeld on July 11 before welcoming Ireland for a two-Test series at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town later in the year in October.
In between those clashes, the side will also face the Black Ferns in another landmark occasion – a double-header at FNB Stadium on September 5 as part of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test.
Former Springbok Juan de Jongh believes the occasion will provide another major boost for the women’s game.
Having experienced the atmosphere of a packed FNB Stadium during his playing career, De Jongh said the opportunity to perform on such a stage would be special for the Bok Women.
“It’s going to make it extra special,” De Jongh told Rugby365 at the launch of the partnership between Klipdrift and SA Rugby.
“The women’s game has gone from level to level and strength to strength.
“Hopefully we can get 95 000 people into the stadium, and we can get the Vuvuzelas in there.”
The last meeting between the Springbok Women and the Black Ferns came at the 2025 Rugby World Cup in England, where the New Zealanders ended South Africa’s historic campaign with a 46-17 quarterfinal victory.
Despite the result, the Bok Women produced one of their most encouraging performances on the global stage. They struck first and went into the break locked at 10-10 with the six-time world champions before the Black Ferns pulled away in the second half to secure their place in the semifinals.
De Jongh believes the strides made in the women’s game over the last five years have been significant.
“Swys is currently doing a great job there,” the former Springbok centre said.
“We see that from the grassroots level SA Rugby is bringing females into the game through the Under-20 campaigns.
“They are taking females from different sporting codes to make sure we can strengthen our game as well.
“England, New Zealand and Australia have been doing it and are raising the standard, so it’s great to see we’re doing it as well.
“If you look at five years ago, just the individual skills and the fundamentals of rugby – their passing, their kicking -they are getting very close to the men’s game on a certain level. It’s fantastic to see.
“It is fantastic to see that rugby is not only a men’s game, but a game for all shapes and sizes, and for the female game as well.”
