Springbok Women's steady growth sets stage for World Cup push

After years of preparation and valuable experience, the team is now in search of its best performance yet at a Rugby World Cup. By Keanan Hemmonsbey

- Keanan Hemmonsbey

The expectation on the Springbok Women's shoulders is greater than it's ever been heading into a Women's Rugby World Cup.

The tournament is less than three weeks away and South Africa are looking to reach territory they've never set foot in before: claim more than one win at the quadrennial tournament as well as reach the knockout stage.

Experienced scrumhalf Tayla Kinsey, who will play in her third Women's Rugby World Cup when the team touches down in England later this month, has seen the side transform from largely amateur to a team that carries some expectation in its performance.

"Nobody knew about us when I got into the team in 2013," Kinsey said to Daily Maverick alongside the University of Cape Town's rugby fields, where the team has been training.

The 31-year-old has since amassed 40 caps for South Africa across 12 years the second-most in history for the country.

Although the initial years of her international career were played in obscurity for the most part, the tide has changed and continues to change. The Bok Women are playing the Black Ferns XV (New Zealand's second side) in two friendly matches that are warm-up matches for the World Cup and do not count as official Test matches.

The first match at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town nevertheless had more than 4,500 spectators in attendance. A number the team would have dreamed of playing in front of when Kinsey started her career is now what they're essentially warming up in front of.

Building up

Several factors have influenced the side's growth, but chief among them are SA Rugby's concerted efforts in improving women's rugby in the country from the domestic rugby structures.