The Springbok Women’s Rugby team found themselves in Madagascar where red earth meets ambition at Stade Makis in Antananarivo under the Malagasy sun.
For the Springbok Women, this isn’t just another international away fixture — it’s another stepping-stone on the rutted, bone-jarring road to the Rugby World Cup in England later this year. And they are here not for the scenery, but for the job.
Rugby, like life, rewards rhythm and resilience — and assistant coach Bafana Nhleko knows it. Fresh off the plane, eyes already scanning the horizon like a seasoned flanker lining up a ruck, Nhleko set the tone for what lies ahead.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – SEPTEMBER 05: Bafana Nhleko (Assistant Coach) during the South Africa national women’s rugby team training session at Hamilton Rugby Club on September 05, 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images)
“We are building a spine, so consistency is key to our performance and theme,” Nhleko said.
Consistency — not just a buzzword, but the Springbok Women’s battle cry as they prepare to lock horns with Uganda this Saturday. The team has traded creature comforts for grit, and hotel rooms for hard yards.
Each training session in Johannesburg was another brick in the structure of a 2025 season built to last — not for show, but for substance.
Joining Nhleko is fellow strategist Franzel September, and together they’ve fine-tuned the Bok Women like a pair of symphony conductors — now all eyes are on the first movement at Stade Makis. The music? Brutal collisions, darting runs, and bruising tackles — rugby’s own form of poetry.
At the centre of this upcoming storm is Aphiwe Ngwevu, the midfield maestro with 24 Test caps stitched into her jersey like medals of honour. She’s no stranger to the front lines, having helped the Springbok Women clinch last year’s Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and a coveted RWC ticket.
“This tournament is important to me and to the team,” said Ngwevu, calm as a captain surveying the battlefield.
“I must prove myself in my position and make sure I play my role as a centre, cross the advantage line and provide forward momentum for our attack.”
Ngwevu isn’t just aiming to cross gain lines — she’s aiming to shatter them. A player who once had to claw her way back into the squad before the 2022 World Cup, her resilience has become her rhythm. She knows the road is rarely smooth, but she laces up her boots and walks it anyway.
“This trip will not be easy, but we will do our best and bring our physical game as always,” she said.
Physical? That might be an understatement. In their last match — a thumping performance against Spain in Bonalba — Ngwevu bulldozed her way to player of the match, racking up 110 meters from 12 carries and fending off six defenders like they were pesky flies in the African sun. A 100% tackle completion rate put the cherry on top — but she’s not dwelling on past glories.
“I can only give my best and leave nothing out there. The rest is not in my control.”
That’s the mark of a true rugby warrior — eyes always forward, heart anchored in the moment, and hands ready to carry the team if need be.
The road ahead is no cakewalk. Uganda, Kenya, and hosts Madagascar await with sharpened studs and fire in their eyes. But the Springbok Women aren’t just touring — they’re hunting, one match at a time, sharpening their claws for the ultimate showdown in England.
The Bok Women have packed more than just boots and gum guards — they’ve packed belief, unity, and a game plan stitched tighter than a front row in a five-metre scrum.
From Antananarivo’s volcanic soil, they’ll rise — not just to play, but to plant the seeds of World Cup dreams. And come September in England, don’t be surprised if the echoes of Stade Makis still ring in their ears.
Because right now, for South Africa’s women in green and gold, there’s only one job on their minds — and it’s at Stade Makis.
Fixtures at Stade Makis (SA time):
7 June vs Uganda – 12h00
11 June vs Kenya – 12h00
15 June vs Madagascar – 14h00
