Springbok Women target first Wales win since 2010 as WXV Global Series campaign opens in Cardiff

South Africa’s Springbok Women begin their WXV Global Series campaign against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park on Friday, with co-coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt describing the fixture as the start of a long-awaited chance to measure themselves against the world’s best.

The match will be South Africa’s first opportunity to beat Wales since 2010, a milestone that has sharpened focus during a rain-soaked training week at Cardiff Metropolitan University. After Friday’s opener, the Springbok Women face Italy, Spain, and then a two-Test series against Ireland in Cape Town.

The side arrive in form after a busy southern-hemisphere summer that included two-Test series against the USA Women’s Eagles and Fiji, plus a one-off clash with New Zealand’s Black Ferns as part of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. South Africa won three of those five Tests.

The squad has also undergone a change in leadership. Swys de Bruin has departed as head coach, with Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September now sharing the reins as co-coaches.

“We wanted to be part of the WXV Global Series for a reason, and the main one was the opportunity to play the best teams in the world,” Johannes-Haupt said. “That opportunity starts on Friday. It will be tough. Wales is also a forward-dominating team, like us, so it will be an interesting match-up.”

There has been a late change to the travelling squad. Scrum-half Anacadia Minnaar was unable to make the trip from Cape Town, and Felicia Jacobs was called up as her replacement. The 28-year-old featured in both Tests against Fiji in August and originally made her Springbok Women debut against Wales back in 2019, adding a layer of familiarity to Friday’s assignment.

Johannes-Haupt was pragmatic about the conditions the squad have encountered in Wales. “Look, there is nothing you can do about the weather and it is going to be like this for the rest of the week, so the earlier we adapt, the better,” she said. “We trained in sunshine before we came over, but this is not the end of the world. We have an opportunity to take on a class team like Wales and that is something we will be embracing this week.”