Ireland Women Touch Down for First Springbok Two-Test Tour

Ireland’s women’s rugby team has landed in South Africa for a two-Test assignment that puts months of planning to the test on Springbok soil for the first time. The fixtures, part of the WXV Global Series, begin on Saturday at 14:00 BST in Cape Town. For captain Erin King, the brief is simple: deliver two wins and make the tour count as an operational exercise for the longer campaign ahead.

King, who turned 23 just three days before the opening Test, will lead Scott Bemand’s side out in Cape Town for the first time. She framed the occasion in terms of execution as much as symbolism. “We’ve definitely spoken about the history of getting to play in Cape Town and getting to play in South Africa,” she said. “Rugby is everything for them. They eat and breathe rugby, and there’s so much history there. We’d love to come over, win the two Tests and create a bit of history.”

Both sides arrive with uneven recent results to address. Ireland opened the WXV Series with a defeat by the USA before beating Japan in Galway, then defeated Japan a second time in a game outside the WXV window at the start of October. South Africa’s campaign has followed a similar pattern, with wins over Spain and Italy followed by a heavy defeat by Wales. Saturday’s first Test therefore brings together two teams with a point to prove, and King expects the contest to be settled by physical application. “I think physicality is what will probably win it this weekend, and that is something we definitely don’t shy away from,” she said. “I don’t think we’ve ever played against a team quite like them and we’re really lucky to have this opportunity.”

Off the field, the tour has functioned as a team-building operation in its own right. The players went on a safari to experience the local wildlife, and King, who has visited South Africa before with Ireland’s Sevens programme, described the country as “a beautiful place”. “We’re really excited to be away on tour together, and it’s really special for us to bond as a group,” she said. “We know the importance of that connection off-field and how it translates to the on-pitch.” Hooker Neve Jones, who will win her 50th Ireland cap on Saturday, has kept the group entertained by leading a game of Traitors. “Neve’s the head of the social committee,” said King. “She’s always keeping us entertained and we all enjoy her company. I’m delighted for her to get her 50th cap. It’s going to be a really special day for her and no-one deserves it more than her.”

King also connected the tour to the longer build-up, noting that with the next cycle before the 2029 World Cup under way, time spent touring together can pay dividends down the line. “Obviously looking ahead to the World Cup in a few years’ time, it’s a great opportunity to get used to touring as a team and how special it can be with the memories that we can make together, while, at the same time, not losing sight of the job at hand.”

For King personally, the captaincy caps a rapid rise. She will win only her 16th cap on Saturday, yet her trajectory has been steep: after Sevens experience that included the Paris Olympics, she switched to the 15-a-side game in 2024 and was named World Rugby’s breakthrough player of the year later that year. Bemand handing her the captaincy ahead of the Six Nations underlined how quickly she has developed. “I suppose it’s been a bit of a whirlwind in the last two years and I was really lucky when I came into the squad to come into such a great group of girls,” she said. “They were so welcoming and made me feel really at home. It didn’t really take long to feel like I belonged and that’s down to the culture that the girls created. The timing was great.”

She can laugh now about the early adjustments, recalling her first training session with Ireland. “I think after my first maul session I probably cried. I was like, ‘I don’t know if this is for me’. It’s come a long way since and to be the captain of this team is still a bit of a ‘pinch me’ moment.” Leading the side out, she added, was “an absolute honour” and “a really exciting time” for the group. “My own game hopefully is coming along and I’m constantly working to be one of the best players in Ireland and one of the best players in the world. I’m just lucky to be part of the team that I’m part of and lucky to captain such an amazing group.”

Further coverage of the series, including Jones winning her 50th Irish cap as Flood and Wall return, is available at https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/cv5ynlj2ljppo, where the build-up to Saturday’s historic first Test in Cape Town is followed in detail.