Two players with Test experience, Abigail Smit and Zethu Gcaza, were included in the Junior Springbok Women squad named by head coach Hayden Groepes for a two-match series against their U20 counterparts from the USA in Stellenbosch later this month.
Both matches are scheduled to kick off at 15:00 (SA Time) at the Markötter Stadium on 17 and 24 July. The encounters, the first time since 2024 that the Junior Bok Women are in action, with Smit the only remaining member from that squad, will be broadcast live on SuperSport and YouTube.
Smit and Gcaza were part of the victorious Springbok Women squad that won the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in Kenya in April, both making their senior debuts in Nairobi.
Groepes, who takes charge of the Junior Springbok Women for the first time, also called on the experience of players who were part of their senior provincial teams in the Pick n Pay Women’s Super League 1.
Julene Haas (EP Queens), Tereské Kabuki (Sanlam Boland Dames), Siphumelele Mdlalose and Alutha Ngcezula (both Golden Lions Women), and Springbok Women’s Sevens wing Owami Mohuli (Free State Women) all played senior provincial rugby earlier this year.
Standouts in the recent FNB Varsity Cup tournament for women who have been called up include Erin Prins (FNB UP-Tuks), Yaneliswa Plaatjie and Jada Davids (FNB UWC), and FNB Maties captain Sesethu Dumke, proving the value of that pipeline as well.
Furthermore, Palesa Matee (FNB Maties) and Chuma Isaac (FNB NMMU) played for the South African U18 Girls against the Netherlands late last year, confirming the value of that historic series.
“Women's rugby in South Africa is entering a very exciting phase,” said Groepes.
“We are currently identifying, assessing, and preparing the next generation of players who we believe can contribute to the future success of the Springbok Women's programme.
“For the first time since 2024, SA Rugby has done an outstanding job of bringing together a talented group of U20 athletes and providing them with a high-performance environment in preparation for international rugby.
“The focus has been on more than just selecting players – it has been about exposing them to elite standards, accelerating their development, and building a sustainable pathway into senior international rugby.”
On the squad itself, the SA U20 coach said: “This group represents the future of women's rugby in South Africa. The opportunity to compete at this level is an important step in their journey and reflects SA Rugby's long-term commitment to growing the women's game and creating a stronger pipeline of world-class players.”
Two players, Keira Snyman and Ywaydha de Vos, have joined the squad as additional members. De Vos has already represented the EP Queens senior team at centre, while Snyman, the daughter of former Springbok back Andre Snyman, is based in the USA. Her involvement is part of SA Rugby’s drive to identify and expose overseas-based players who are eligible to play for South Africa to the local women’s rugby structures.
Junior Springbok Women squad 2026:
Props: Iviwe Jonas (FNB UWC), Sesethu Dumke (FNB Maties), Anothando Khatshwa (DHL Western Province), Alutha Ngcezula (Golden Lions).
Hookers: Jada Davids (DHL Western Province), Chris Ross (Golden Lions), Vanessa Gabadi (Limpopo Blue Bulls).
Locks: Nonkosi Ngema (Griquas), Abigail Smit (DHL Western Province), Kaylee Daniels (DHL Western Province), Zethu Gcaza (Border Ladies), Ntokozo Gumede (Isuzu Bulls Daisies), Buhle Mxoli (Border Ladies).
Loose Forwards: Chuma Isaac (EP Queens), Palesa Matee (DHL Western Province), Yaneliswa Plaatjie (DHL Western Province), Karabo Rabekane (Limpopo Blue Bulls), Kaylin Heuvel (DHL Western Province).
Scrumhalves: Asanda Mnyandu (Sharks), Danica Peypers (DHL Western Province), Anita Fazi (DHL Western Province), Erin Prins (Isuzu Bulls Daisies).
Flyhalves: Julene Haas (EP Queens), Hayley Hardneck (Sanlam Boland Dames).
Centres: Yamkela Funani (EP), Ronecia Gordon (WP).
Outside and utility backs: Siphumelele Mdlalose (Golden Lions), Owami Mohuli (Free State), Shanice Scholtz (EP Queens), Tereské Kabuika (Sanlam Boland Dames).
