'It does not make financial sense not to invest in women's sports'
EXCLUSIVE: In recent years, women’s sports have undergone meteoric rise, offering sports fanatics a new way to experience football, cricket, and now rugby.
The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 has reached new highs, with 42,723 spectators in attendance for the opening match between England and the USA.
The tournament, heading into its third week, continues on an upward trajectory, with seven teams already booking their spots in the quarterfinals.
The tournament has truly shown that audiences and brands are paying attention to women’s rugby.
In South Africa, the shift is also visible, with sponsors backing various athletes and tapping into new markets for what a rugby fan can look like.
However, while the success is evident, one has to admit that there is still a lot of work ahead.
In recent years, SA Rugby has put huge effort into making the women’s game as mush of a priority as the men’s.
Last year, they revealed plans to centrally contract as many as 150 female rugby players and create an elite Women’s Super League Rugby (WSLR) competition.
Sponsors have also bought into the Springbok Women brand.
Speaking to Rugby365, Springbok Women prop Babalwa Latsha revealed that having financial support is immense.
Latsha recently returned to South Africa after she ended a two year stay with Premiership Women’s Rugby club, Harlequins.
The University of the Western Province has yet to confirm her next club.
During her time in London, the prop made 29 appearances for her club and concluded her time at the Twickenham Stoop with a try in their 24-32 semifinal loss to Saracens.
“I think it does not make financial or economic sense not to invest in women’s sports,” Latsha told Rugby365.
“Statistically, women’s rugby and women’s sports are the fastest growing on this planet.
“From an economic point of view, I think it’s important to back the women’s game from a revenue perspective. At the moment, we have sponsors like FNB backing us.
“The most valuable support comes from ordinary South Africans.
“We see them in the stands, we see their messages, and that is what keeps us going, because we understand what we represent.
“We understand how far we have come and the milestones we have reached.”
Under the guidance of Swys de Bruin, the Springbok Women’s team has made incredible strides.
Since he took over the reins last August, the side has recorded wins over the star-laden Barbarians, Spain, Japan, and Black Ferns XV.
They opened their World Cup campaign with a 66-6 win over Brazil before a historic 29-24 win over Italy, booking their first-ever quarterfinal spot at the showpiece.
The progress is certainly significant when you look at the landscape of the women’s game in the country.
At the moment, the Bulls Daisies are the only professional team in South Africa’s Women’s Premier Division.
In 2023, the Pretoria-based franchise awarded 35 female players professional contracts and has reaped the rewards ever since.
The Bulls Daisies have secured three consecutive Women’s Premier Division titles and have 14 players in the Springbok World Cup squad.
Other teams like Border Ladies, Sharks Women, Western Province, and Boland Dames have yet to follow suit – these teams are currently made up of semi-professional and mostly amateur players.
When asked about professionalization, Latsha admitted that as players, their first responsibility is to secure victories.
“I know winning is important, and that is the responsibility we as women rugby players have to move the game toward professionalism.”
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‘We love to scrum’
While the Springbok Women are etching their names in history and stepping out from the monumental shadow of the four-time world champion Springboks, there are still loads of similarities between the two entities.
Just like the men, the women favour their set-piece and a bench stacked with six forwards and just two backs – a plan that dominated the Italians from kickoff.
The Springbok Women had 17 scrums during the showdown, scoring multiple tries from the back of the set-piece.
One of the stars of the show, Latsha, said the Bok Women love to scrum.
“We are blessed to have a phenomenal forward pack – physically, emotionally, and mentally strong – because scrummaging is not child’s play.
“But it’s part of our DNA. We enjoy it. We enjoy the messiness of it, the grit.
“And my body can actually feel I was part of 15 or 17 scrums, but it is truly part of the honour of playing in the front row.
“It is a special place to be, and not everyone is cut out for it.
“But we love to scrum!”
While she knows what to expect from France, pointing out they are a physical side with incredible flair, Latsha is confident in the team’s preparation.
A win over France would mean the Springbok Women top Pool D and face Ireland, avoiding the mighty Black Ferns in the quarterfinals.
“If I had to choose, I would pick Ireland,” Latsha said when asked who she’d prefer to face in the quarterfinals.
“But we front up for any challenge, and that’s just the South Africanness in us.
“However, we will cross that bridge when we get there.”
