STAT ATTACK: How Bok Women broke a 15-year curse
OPINION: It will take some time for people to see the Springbok Women in the same light as their male counterparts, but man, have they made a genuine effort to stand up and be noticed.
Their opening match of the World Cup against Brazil was a spectacle of note.
Not only did they manage to claim the fourth biggest score of the showpiece on the first weekend, they did so with pure grit, determination, and self-belief.
And an unshakable determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best.
They’ve shown that they are there not just to compete, but to challenge, inspire, and prove their growth as a rugby nation.
Most of these women come from struggling backgrounds, but that is not what they want to showcase.
They have true talent worthy of the big stage and worthy of being recognised and respected.
At the previous World Cup three years ago, South Africa merely made up the numbers. They lost all three of their group games by an aggregate score of 20-136 against France, Fiji, and England.
They only crossed the whitewash three times – the lowest count across the 12-team competition.
This time round, things are different. They have proper support and buy-in from the national body, and they have had thorough preparation and warm-up games.
Not to mention the vast array of talented players coming through the system.
A special club 🏉
Four players bagged hat-tricks on #RWC2025 opening weekend
Take a bow 👏 pic.twitter.com/5jN2YIPMla
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) August 26, 2025
The stats from last weekend’s game speak for themselves.
South Africa (66-6) and Ireland (42-14) achieved their highest World Cup scores in their opening matches.
Both teams’ previous best scores were against Kazakhstan: Ireland’s was 40-5 in 2014, and South Africa’s was just 25-10 in 2010.
One of the Bok Women’s breakout stars, No. 8 Aseza Hele, beat 20 defenders, far more than any other forward. On Sunday, she seemed to beat 20 defenders in just 50 minutes of work as she became the first female Springbok to score a World Cup hat trick of tries.
She is perhaps the most direct and robust ball carrier at the World Cup.
Among their top stats to take away from their opening match against Brazil are their 193 carries, 954 metres made, 10 clean breaks, 13 offloads, 57 defenders beaten, 15 dominant tackles, eight lineouts won, and, of course, those ten tries they scored, the fourth highest number after the opening round.
This weekend, they face a much tougher opponent, Italy, which is also a must-win for the women to make it through to the quarterfinals.
The Le Azzurre have won both of the previous two meetings between the sides.
