The Springbok Women will defend their Rugby Africa Women’s Cup title in Nairobi this weekend.
Image: @WomenBoks on X
The Springbok Women return to the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup this week carrying both the confidence of a breakthrough season and the challenge of building greater squad depth ahead of a demanding international calendar.
South Africa departed Cape Town for Nairobi, Kenya on Wednesday determined to defend the continental title they won unbeaten in Madagascar last year – a campaign that laid the foundation for their historic Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final appearance in England.
This year’s tournament in Kenya may not carry the same World Cup implications, but it remains a critical part of the Springbok Women’s long-term planning, particularly with major internationals against the Black Ferns and USA looming later this season.
The Bok Women are set to face New Zealand during the upcoming Greatest Rugby Rivalry series, while they will host USA for the first time in a two-Test series in July, giving South Africa an opportunity to measure themselves against two of the sport’s traditional powerhouses. Their first major international competition since the World Cup will then come in the WXV Global Series in September and October.
That makes the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup an important audition for players hoping to establish themselves before those marquee Tests, with nine uncapped players included in the touring squad that will once again be led by lock Anathi Xolo.
The tournament provides another valuable platform for emerging talent to prove they can make the step up to international rugby as the Springbok Women continue to broaden the player base that served them so well during last year’s World Cup campaign.
Among the more experienced players in the squad is utility back Alichia Arries, who returns to the Springbok Women setup for the first time since 2021 after rebuilding her career through domestic rugby and the national sevens programme.
For Arries, the trip to Kenya carries extra significance. Her first appearances for the Springbok Women came against Kenya in Stellenbosch four years ago, shortly before she completed her matric exams.
“Yes, it started against Kenya and now I resume my international career in Kenya, so it is a nice way to complete the circle,” Arries said before the team departed.
The 24-year-old has since gained international sevens experience in destinations including Toulouse, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Hong Kong, while also overcoming injuries and balancing motherhood with her rugby ambitions.
“I think the big difference between that time representing my country and this time around is life experience and understanding what it means to play for your country and your family,” she said.
South Africa open their campaign against Madagascar, with Arries expecting the island nation to play an expansive style.
“I have faced them in sevens and they have a ball-in-hand-all-the-time approach,” she said. “I am not expecting anything else.”
But beyond defending their continental crown, the bigger picture for many players in Nairobi will be staking a claim for the far sterner assignments that await later this year.
“There will be good competition amongst this group to establish yourself in the squad that will face top-class international opponents this year,” Arries said. “That aside, we will need to make sure the team comes first and that we deliver the results we are capable of and trained for.”