SA Rugby to propel Women’s Rugby into the professional era
SPOTLIGHT: SA Rugby is ready to launch a professional league for women as soon as 2026 in a bid to be real contenders at the next World Cup in 2029.
The 2029 Women’s World Cup is scheduled to be the eleventh edition and is set to be held in Australia.
Following the Bok Women’s dramatic rise over the last year, under the tutelage of head coach Swys de Bruin, SA Rugby is gearing up to make the women’s game fully professional.
At the team’s arrival in Cape Town on Tuesday, SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer spoke to the media about the plans going forward.
He reiterated that proper structures have to be put in place to afford women the opportunity to play rugby at a professional level.
Currently, only the Bulls Daisies and Boland Women have professional contracts, which allows them to focus solely on their rugby careers.
These two teams have dominated the provincial competition for the last few years.
Tougher competition is needed for the professional players, and according to Oberholzer, SA Rugby is in talks with role players like SANZAAR to seek out an international competition.
“We are talking to each other. It is extremely important for us. Look at the success of our Under-20s.
“It started when we brought the Sanzaar U20 competition back for them to prepare for the U20 World Cup.
“Yes, it is important, and that is something we have to look at.
“With regards to the professional league, we are in the final stages of putting it in place, and we will kick it off in 2026,” Oberholzer confirmed.
A campaign that changed everything 🚀#BokWomen #PlusOne pic.twitter.com/eqPcD5UtZ7
— SA Women’s Rugby (@WomenBoks) September 16, 2025
He explained how expensive it is to take part in competitions like the Rugby Championship, given South Africa’s geographical position.
“One of the challenges we have is where we are positioned in the world.
“For us to play the top competition, we have to travel to Europe, or to New Zealand, or Australia.
“There just isn’t opposition for us in Africa.
“So it is an expensive exercise for us to play international fixtures, but we have to do it. It is important,” he stressed.
It sounds like SA Rugby has finally fully committed itself to the women’s game, but it took a long time to get to this point.
“We are quite far behind in starting the seriousness of women’s rugby in South Africa.
“What is also important now is to build a professional league. We have to identify the top 180-200 players in South Africa who are put into the professional league, where they can play strength vs strength.
“The best talent playing each other, get the best coaches involved. And from there, the international game will improve.
“If we can have a proper professional league in South Africa in the next period of time, we believe we can be contenders in 2029,” Oberholzer stated.
“We have a provincial competition, and we will continue with the provincial competition, but we have to put something in at the top, that is, the professional league, which will then take us to the next level.
“It is so much more difficult for women to play rugby than for men. And we have to realise that as an organisation.
“The women have so many more responsibilities that they have to look after before they can play rugby.
“If we don’t have a professional league where they can concentrate on just playing rugby, we will never reach the heights that we can reach with the talent we have available.
“We have national team sponsors [for the Springboks, Springbok Women, SA Under-20 & BlitzBokke], so that alleviates a lot of the challenges.
“Commercial South Africa is stepping up. They understand what we are trying to do, and they are willing to help us.
“The important thing now is for the public to follow suit. We have to get gate money for people to come and watch the women play.
“That’s where the commercial programme will grow.”
In an effort to truly reflect what has been stated, on Thursday, SA Rugby confirmed a brand-new club competition for women, while the U20 Women’s Tournament will see more participating teams than ever before converge on Johannesburg next month.
Both tournaments will take place in the week of October 5-10 in Gauteng – Women’s Club Championship at Alberton Rugby Club and the U20 Women’s Tournament at Queens High School.
The inaugural Betway Women’s Club Championship – the first of its kind in South Africa – will see 16 club teams (drawn from all 15 provincial unions plus one wild card) play each other over three match days, with the event aimed at elevating the domestic women’s rugby further and developing the game nationally at grassroots level.
The competition will feature 16 teams from across South Africa. Similarly to the Gold Cup, teams from the Varsity Cup are not eligible although women’s teams from three other tertiary institutions that did not participate in the Varsity Cup have been included amongst the 16 competitors.
They are Durban University of Technology (Sharks), Sol Plaatje University Rugby Club (Griquas) and University of Limpopo (Limpopo Blue Bulls).
They will be joined by Walker Bay (Boland), Mqanduli Sharks (Border), Harlequins (Bulls), Kwaru RFC (EP), Collegians Valkyries (Free State), Pirates (Lions), Van der Stel Evergreens (WP), Welkom Rugby Club (Griffons), Potchefstroom Dorp (Leopards), Embalenhle RC (Pumas), Titans (SWD), Kempton Park (Valke), and the wild card team, Raiders (Lions).
The teams will be split into two divisions of eight, based on their provincial participation in the Women’s Premier and First Divisions. Teams will play three matches each during the week in Alberton.
Meanwhile, this year’s U20 tournament marks a new milestone, with a record 14 teams confirmed to participate, up from 12 that played last year, with the Pumas and a Northern Invitational XV joining the action next month.
The 14 participating sides will also be split into two groups, according to the Women’s Premier and First Divisions. Tier 1 at the 2025 U20 Women’s Tournament in Johannesburg will consist of the Bulls, Boland, Border, Eastern Province, Cheetahs, Lions, Sharks and Western Province. Tier 2 will feature Griquas, Limpopo Blue Bulls, Pumas, SWD, Valke and the Northern Invitational XV.
Matches in both tournaments will take place on October 6, 8 and 10.
Women’s Club Championship fixtures
(Day one – Monday, October 6 at Alberton Rugby Club):
First Division:
08.30: Sol Plaatje (Griquas) vs Raiders (wild card, Lions)
09.40: Titans (SWD) vs Welkom (Griffons)
10.50: Embalenhle (Pumas) vs University of Limpopo (Limpopo)
12h.00: Potch Dorp (Leopards) vs Kempton Park (Valke)
Premier Division:
13.10: Mqanduli Sharks (Border) vs Kwaru (EP)
14.20: Harlequins (Bulls) vs DUT (Sharks)
15.30: Walker Bay (Boland) vs Collegians Valkyries (Cheetahs)
16.40: Van der Stel Evergreens (WP) vs Pirates (Lions)
U20 Women’s Tournament fixtures (day one – Monday, October 6 at Queens High School):
08.30: Valke vs Northern Invitational XV
09.40: Pumas vs Limpopo
10.50: SWD vs Griquas
12.00: WP vs Sharks
13.10: Lions vs Cheetahs
14.20: Border vs Boland
15.30: Bulls vs EP
