Bok Women poised for greater glory says coaching brain
EXCLUSIVE: The Springbok Women are only getting bigger, better, and stronger after their historic 2025 World Cup campaign – so says scrum coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt.
South Africa rewrote the record books in England, reaching their first-ever World Cup quarterfinal and announcing themselves as a rising force in women’s rugby.
The Bok Women opened their campaign with commanding wins over Brazil (66-6) and Italy (29-24) before falling to France (10-57), setting up a blockbuster quarterfinal clash with New Zealand at Sandy Park in Exeter.
“It’s extraordinary to be acknowledged for what you do, and it’s more significant for our game because a lot of people didn’t even know there was women’s rugby in South Africa,” Johannes-Haupt told rugby365.
“But with the exposure we received from the World Cup and with the good performances, it brought people on board. We are now known as the people’s team.
“People love what we do, people loved what we achieved, but more importantly, people started to love the individuals – their personalities and the characters shone through. I think that was massive for us, and that also kicked us into high gear.”
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15 years of growth
The Bok Women’s spirited run ended with a 17-46 loss to the Black Ferns, but not before they turned heads across the globe. They held the six-time champions to 10-all at half-time and produced one of the tournament’s standout moments with a brilliantly executed 15-player maul.
For Johannes-Haupt, the fixture carried deep personal significance.
The former prop played against the Black Ferns at the 2010 World Cup in England, where South Africa slumped to a 3-55 defeat in the pool stages.
The difference between then and now, she says, shows just how far the women’s game has come.
“It was more significant for me because I was a player and I played at the World Cup in 2010 in England. So to reach the heights that those girls reached this year made the feeling 20 times more special for me.
“They did that through hard work, dedication, commitment to wanting to be the best, and playing for each other.”
She recalled how small-scale the women’s game was during her playing years.
“In 2010, there weren’t many people watching our games. We played at the university – it was really small – but even then, England was known as a women’s rugby hub.
“Now, 15 years later, they’ve showcased the most spectacular women’s rugby competition the world has ever seen. From security to the actual political event, it was phenomenal, and the planning and execution of the World Cup were on another level, standards-wise.”
She called time on her career in 2014 and transitioned into coaching immediately after retirement. Her résumé is already stacked: two Women’s Premier Division titles with Western Province, a stint as Junior Springbok Women’s coach, and a place in the World Rugby Gallagher Coaching Internship Programme. She joined the Springbok Women as an assistant coach in 2023.
Recently, she earned her World Rugby Level 3 coaching accreditation – a milestone in itself.
“The accreditation means that I am now eligible to coach anywhere in the world. I am one of three females in South Africa to have that accreditation, and it just solidifies or gives me confidence to say that I am in the space that I am because I deserve to be here. I think that speaks for itself.
“Sometimes, as people, you have that doubt – that little thing telling you you’re not worthy or you’re not enough – but just to have that paper solidifies that you are worthy, you are enough, you are there because you deserve to be there. So it’s very exciting times for me personally, and now I’m thinking: what more do I need to do to elevate myself first, and to elevate my team?”
Johannes-Haupt also hailed the influence of Swys de Bruin, the tactical brain behind the Bok Women’s recent surge.
“Swys is a phenomenal, creative guy. He brings a good vibe, he’s a good person, and he gets the best out of the girls.
“He’s just a nice person to work with. He’s staying on as the head coach until after the World Cup, and it’s good to learn from him – he’s been a good mentor to a lot of us.”
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