Springbok Women vow to redeem themselves after heavy 50-19 defeat to Wales

South Africa’s women suffered a chastening 50-19 defeat to Wales in their WXV Global Series 2026 opener in South Wales, with the Springboks admitting they failed to perform and now targeting a response against Italy this Saturday.

The result was a sharp reversal of recent momentum. The Springbok Women had recorded a Test series win over Fiji, drawn a series with the USA Eagles, and produced a promising display against the Black Ferns in Soweto before the tour began. Against Sean Lynn’s Wales, however, they had no answer for the home side’s physicality or their expansive, multi-phase attack. Maceala Samboya’s 59th-minute strike was the lone highlight of an otherwise difficult evening.

“We did not play to our potential and that was frustrating — in fact, I was quite angry after the game,” said Maria Tshiremba, reflecting the mood within the squad.

The Springboks, currently ranked tenth in the world, have further opportunities to recover during their European tour. After facing Italy this weekend, they travel to Seville to take on Spain’s Las Leonas. To bolster the coaching staff ahead of Saturday’s fixture, Junior Springbok assistant coach Melusi Mthethwa has joined the squad to work alongside co-head coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September. Dave Wessels, SA Rugby’s general manager for high performance, will also link up with the team this week.

Italy arrive in strong form, having beaten Japan 55-21 — scoring nine tries — in their first match under new head coach Plinio Sciamanna. The result generated considerable excitement around the start of a new era for the Azzurre.

The two sides last met at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, where South Africa edged a tense 29-24 Pool D encounter at Franklin’s Gardens to advance to the quarter-finals, while Italy were eliminated. That memory looms large for the Springboks as they prepare for the rematch.

“That game will forever be in the memory bank — it was a special performance,” said Ayanda Malinga. “That said, this week we started with a different mindset and feeling after the defeat, which stung. Today’s session perked us up again; we got some nice work done with a lot of clarity on how we can beat Italy.”

“We need to redeem ourselves and make a statement on this tour, and this weekend is that opportunity,” Malinga added.