The next five Tests will take the Springbok Women to Wales, Italy and Spain before they return home for a historic two-Test series against Ireland. The matches will form the main international focus of the team’s 2026 season.

Wales: the next challenge

The first match is against Wales on 18 September at Cardiff Arms Park.

It will be South Africa’s opening fixture of the WXV Global Series and the first match of the European leg of the campaign. The official World Rugby and SA Rugby match centres confirm Cardiff Arms Park as the venue.

The match comes shortly after the Springbok Women’s 52–20 defeat by New Zealand at FNB Stadium on 5 September. That Test showed both sides of the South African game: the team scored four tries and created pressure through its scrum and maul, but New Zealand were able to punish mistakes and maintain their advantage.

Wales will provide a different challenge. The Springbok Women will have to adapt quickly to a European opponent while maintaining the physical qualities that have been central to their game during 2026.

Italy: the second European Test

A week later, South Africa will face Italy on 26 September at the Stadio Omero Tognon in Pordenone.

The fixture is part of the same WXV Global Series window and will give the Springbok Women a second opportunity to test themselves against a European opponent away from home.

For South Africa, the short turnaround between the Wales and Italy Tests will make squad management and recovery important. The team will have to adapt quickly to a different opponent while maintaining the physical intensity that has traditionally been one of its strengths.

Spain: the final European Test

The European leg does not end in Italy.

South Africa will face Spain on 4 October at the Estadio La Cartuja in Seville.

The match is particularly important because Spain are part of the wider WXV Global Series Challenger competition in 2026, while South Africa are competing in the top-tier home-and-away series. The Test therefore gives the Springbok Women another opportunity to face a different European style before returning to South Africa.

It also creates another demanding period for the squad. South Africa will have three away Tests in Europe within just over two weeks, making rotation, recovery and consistency important factors.

Ireland: two Tests at home

The final two fixtures of the current calendar are particularly significant.

South Africa will host Ireland on 24 October and 31 October, with both Tests scheduled to take place at Athlone Sports Stadium in Cape Town. SA Rugby announced the two-match series as the first Test series between the Springbok Women and Ireland to be played on consecutive weekends.

The two matches will also bring the Springbok Women’s WXV Global Series campaign to a close.

Playing two Tests against the same opponent provides a different challenge from the European tour. The Springbok Women will have an opportunity to assess what worked in the opening match and make adjustments before the second encounter.

The series is also historically significant. Before these two matches, South Africa and Ireland had met only once in a Test — at the 2006 Women’s Rugby World Cup, when Ireland won 37–0.

A new coaching chapter

The WXV campaign will also be the first major international assignment for the Springbok Women under their new co-head coaching arrangement.

Swys de Bruin stepped down from his position as Springbok Women head coach in September 2026 after two years with the team. His former assistants Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September have taken charge as co-head coaches for the remainder of the season.

The change comes at an important point in the season. South Africa had already reached the quarter-finals of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup — their best-ever result at the tournament — and entered 2026 with an expanded group of players competing for places.

SA Rugby named a 49-player extended group in July for the remainder of the season. The original plan included the three European WXV Tests against Wales, Italy and Spain, followed by the two Tests against Ireland.

The final European touring squad was later reduced to 30 players, with Naima Hlatshwayo called up to replace the injured Zintle Mpupha.

Why the WXV Global Series matters

The new competition represents a significant change to the international women’s rugby calendar.

The inaugural WXV Global Series brings together 18 national teams in a new two-level structure. The top 12 teams, including South Africa, compete in a home-and-away, cross-regional touring model during a dedicated September–October window. The remaining six teams compete in the centrally hosted WXV Global Series Challenger.

The structure is designed to provide more regular high-level Tests and greater certainty in the international calendar. It is also aligned with the qualification pathway for the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Australia.

That makes the upcoming matches important beyond the immediate results. They are part of the first cycle of a new international structure that will shape women’s rugby between the 2025 and 2029 World Cups.

What to watch

The five remaining Tests give the Springbok Women several areas to monitor.

First, the set piece. South Africa’s scrum and driving maul remain important attacking weapons, and their effectiveness against Wales, Italy, Spain and Ireland will be closely watched.

Second, consistency. The New Zealand match showed that South Africa can create pressure against elite opposition, but also how quickly mistakes can turn into points at international level.

Third, the developing player group. The expanded 49-player squad and the final European selection indicate that the coaching staff have a sizeable group from which to build the team.

Finally, the new coaching era. Johannes-Haupt and September now have five Tests in which to establish their approach before the 2026 international season comes to an end.

For the Springbok Women, the next two months therefore combine immediate competition with a longer-term purpose. Five Tests against Wales, Italy, Spain and Ireland will provide the team’s next opportunity to measure its progress — while helping shape the next stage of South African women’s rugby.

Official sources

  • SA Rugby — Springbok Women match centre and 2026 fixtures

SA Rugby — Settled Springbok Women squad named for WXV tour

SA Rugby — Springbok Women to host Ireland in Cape Town

SA Rugby — Extended Springbok Women squad named for remainder of season

World Rugby — WXV Global Series 2026

World Rugby — WXV Global Series structure

World Rugby — Italy v South Africa, 26 September 2026

World Rugby — South Africa v Ireland, 24 October 2026

World Rugby — South Africa v Ireland, 31 October 2026