WATCH! Time to turn the tide in South African rugby
“A very good big one beating a very good small one.”
That was the phrase used by Stanley Raubenheimer to describe the Women’s Premier Division Final between Bulls Daisies and Western Province.
*Read: Bulls Daisies v WP match report
The 2025 WPD season is done and dusted, and as expected, the Bulls Daisies were crowned Champions at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The side recorded a 46-31 win over WP, claiming their third WPD title in a row.
Bulls Daisies’ dominance was evident throughout the season, keeping three teams (WP, Border Ladies, and Cheetahs Queens) scoreless on their way to the #Three-Peat.
The Final was a little bit trickier for them, as WP put up a brave fight and handed the Bulls Daisies their smallest winning margin (15 points) of the season.
Nonetheless, despite WP’s efforts, the Bulls Daisies’ quality was just too superior for the women of the Cape.
The sad reality is that the Bulls Daisies, which is the only fully professional women’s team in the country, will continue to dominate and lift the trophy unless things change.
Out of the eight teams, Boland Dames are the only other team close to becoming fully professional, while the others are mostly made up of amateur players.
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“You just can’t compete with those types of resources, conditioning, nutritionists, medical, and that whole high-performance environment,” Raubenheimer told rugby365.com when asked about how difficult it is to face a professional team in the Final at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
“We try to train three times a week, and you must be happy if you manage to get your full squad. They train three times a day with a full squad.
“However, that is not an excuse for our performance today [Saturday].”
“They are a fully professional squad, and well done to the Bulls for investing in women’s rugby.”
“Hopefully, other South African teams will follow. I know Boland Dames is also trying to become fully professional, but it is just a little tough.”
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Bulls Daisies head coach Hayden Groepes revealed that the lack of competitive matches comes with problems.
He remains hopeful that the current situation will change and admitted there is a big need for financial support from stakeholders and corporate entities.
“It’s just challenging at times when you face a team who is struggling,” Groepes told rugby365.
“The moment SA Rugby and external investors come on board and put money into the game, our franchises will improve because there is so much potential.
“If you look at Western Province, over the last three years, they have been really competitive.
“So, there is hope that we get some investment and start to change the tide in South Africa so we can have these competitive matches week in and week out. It is what our national team deserves and what world rugby deserves.”
Last year, SA Rugby announced a plan to centrally contract as many as 150 female players at the start of 2025.
There were also talks of creating an elite Women’s Super League Rugby (WSLR) competition.
However, it is yet to be confirmed.
