Bok Women staying humble after Brazil blowout
The Springbok Women’s performance coach, Swys de Bruin, could not have asked for a better start to his team’s World Cup campaign.
South Africa opened their tournament in style on Sunday, delivering a commanding 66-6 win over Brazil at Franklin’s Gardens – a result that marked a record victory for the Springbok Women.
The win saw South Africa top Pool D, with tournament contenders France sitting second after their 24-0 win over Italy on Saturday.
De Bruin’s team outscored the debutant Brazilians 10 tries to none.
No. 8 Aseza Hele led the charge with a hat-trick, while Ayanda Malinga and Libbie Janse van Rensburg each crossed the line twice.
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“A very satisfactory performance,” De Bruin said after the match in Northampton.
“I’m glad and thankful, knowing where the team came from a year ago and the sacrifices some of the individuals made.”
Despite the emphatic win, De Bruin remains realistic about the challenges ahead, with pool matches against Italy and France still to come.
“It’s early days in the competition. We realise that.
“However, we did say, from the word go, the focus would be on the first game.
“Now we’ll see, because we’ve got two tough games ahead – Italy and France.
“But let’s enjoy the win, and on Monday we’ll regroup.”
Although pleased with the team’s performance, De Bruin noted there were missed opportunities and praised Brazil’s defensive effort.
“I think we could have had two or three more tries, so it shows you it could have been a bigger win.
“But I’m happy. The team is happy.
“We must just stay humble and work hard.”
One thing is certain: the Springbok Women won’t shy away from their DNA.
They are a physical side and have shown that with their first win at the 2025 World Cup.
The side travelled to York on Monday to prepare for their round two fixture against Italy.
