Ireland Secure 40-27 Victory Over Springbok Women in Historic Cape Town Test

In a landmark encounter at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, October 24, 2026, Ireland’s women’s rugby team triumphed over South Africa’s Springbok Women with a 40-27 victory. This match marked Ireland’s first women’s Test played on South African soil and was the opening fixture of a two-Test series in the inaugural WXV Global Series.

The WXV Global Series is a new international competition designed to provide regular high-level matches for the leading women’s rugby nations. Ireland arrived in South Africa following an autumn home programme that included Tests against the United States and Japan, while the Springbok Women came off a European tour featuring matches against Wales, Italy, and Spain.

The contest was closely fought in the first half, with Ireland edging South Africa 21-17 at the break. Both sides displayed attacking intent, combining for eleven tries — six for Ireland and five for South Africa. Ireland’s scoring was spread across Aoife Dalton, Linda Djougang (who scored twice), Jane Clohessy, Beibhinn Parsons, and captain Erin King. Dannah O’Brien’s reliable kicking added five conversions, proving crucial to Ireland’s scoreboard pressure.

South Africa’s tries came from Aseza Hele, Vainah Ubisi, Maria Tshiremba, Lerato Makua, and Alichia Arries, with Jakkie Cilliers successfully converting one of those efforts. Despite their spirited performance, the Springbok Women struggled with defensive lapses and unforced errors at critical moments, which Ireland capitalised on.

The first half also saw disciplinary action, with Ireland captain Erin King receiving a yellow card for a dangerous tackle involving shoulder-to-head contact. Later in the match, Ireland’s Eve Higgins was also sin-binned. South Africa, however, could not fully exploit these periods of numerical advantage.

Ireland’s experience and control became more evident after halftime. Early in the second half, Beibhinn Parsons and Erin King scored quick tries that extended Ireland’s lead to 33-17. South Africa responded with a try from Lerato Makua, narrowing the deficit, but Linda Djougang’s second try in the 74th minute effectively sealed the result for Ireland. A late consolation try by Alichia Arries for South Africa set the final scoreline.

The match was attended by 3,709 spectators, reflecting growing enthusiasm for women’s rugby in South Africa. Both teams are set to meet again at Athlone Stadium on Saturday, October 31, for the second Test of the WXV Global Series, with South Africa eager to address areas of improvement highlighted in this encounter.

This victory gives Ireland a 2-0 record in official senior meetings against South Africa, the previous encounter being a 37-0 win at the 2006 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Canada. The WXV Global Series now provides a platform for these teams to develop their rivalry and gain valuable international experience.

South Africa will look to improve their forward dominance and reduce errors to better challenge Ireland in the upcoming Test. Meanwhile, Ireland’s ability to maintain pressure through territorial control and effective kicking proved decisive in their maiden South African Test win.

Fans can anticipate an exciting rematch next weekend as both sides seek to assert their standing in this emerging global competition.