The Springbok Women’s Sevens are preparing for a defining stretch of their season, with new faces and returning experience included in the squad heading to South America later this month.
South Africa will compete in the final two HSBC SVNS 2 tournaments, set to take place in Montevideo, Uruguay (21 to 22 March) and Sao Paulo, Brazil (28 to 29 March). Head coach Cecil Afrika has named a travelling group of 14 players, blending continuity from the recent Kenya leg with a few exciting additions.
Among the most notable inclusions are Maceala Samboya and Shanidine Bezuidenhout, who could both make their international sevens debuts during the tour.
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Fresh talent ready for the big stage
The introduction of Samboya and Bezuidenhout highlights the steady growth of the women’s game in South Africa, with players emerging from different sporting pathways and development structures.
Samboya, who already has seven Test caps in the 15 player format, joined the national training squad after last year’s Rugby World Cup campaign in England. A knee injury slowed her progress for a period, but she has recovered and now appears ready to make the transition into the fast paced sevens environment.
Bezuidenhout arrives with an impressive multi sport background. The Stellenbosch University graduate earned a postgraduate certificate in education with distinction while also excelling on the sports field. She won gold medals with the university in both netball and rugby and was part of the teams that captured the Varsity Netball title in 2022 and the FNB Varsity Cup Women’s rugby competition in 2025.
Her sevens experience includes involvement in the national training squad and appearances for the Springbok Women’s Sevens A team at an international invitational tournament in Dubai last year.
Afrika believes both players add valuable qualities to the squad.
He described Samboya as an elusive runner with quick footwork, while Bezuidenhout has impressed with her skills and ability to adapt quickly to the demands of sevens rugby.
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Experience returns to the squad
The squad also welcomes back Catha Jacobs, one of the more experienced players in the group.
Jacobs first made her debut in 2019 and has since earned 26 Test caps for the Springbok Women across both sevens and the 15 player game. Her international career includes appearances at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2022 and again in England in 2025.
She most recently played for the Golden Lions Women in the Pick n Pay Women’s Super League before receiving a call up to the national training camp and now the touring squad.
Afrika believes her physical presence and experience will strengthen the team as they face a challenging international field.
Building on Kenya momentum
The majority of the squad remains unchanged from the recent tournament in Kenya, where South Africa won four of their five matches. Eleven players from that campaign have been retained.
The only change from the Nairobi squad comes through injury, with Leigh Fortuin ruled out.
While the results in Kenya were encouraging, Afrika believes there is still work to be done.
He pointed out that South Africa struggled with restarts and missed opportunities in the opposition half. Those areas have been a focus during training as the team prepares for tougher opposition in South America.
Teams such as Argentina, Brazil, Spain, China and Kenya are expected to return stronger for the upcoming events.
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A crucial race for qualification
South Africa head into the South American tournaments second on the overall standings, putting them in a strong position ahead of the final stretch of the series.
The stakes are high. The top four teams will qualify for the HSBC SVNS World Championship events, scheduled to take place later this year in Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux.
For a Springbok Women’s Sevens programme that has steadily grown in recent seasons, maintaining that top four position would represent another important step forward.
Captain Nadine Roos, one of the most dynamic players in the squad, will once again lead the side as they look to turn promise into results on the international stage.
Springbok women’s sevens fixtures (SA times)
Saturday, 21 March
16:23 vs Spain
18:46 vs China
21:36 vs Brazil
Sunday, 22 March
19:23 vs Kenya
22:39 vs Argentina
Springbok women’s sevens squad
Asisipho Plaatjies
Patience Mokone
Maria Tshiremba
Nadine Roos (captain)
Byrhandre Dolf
Liske Lategan
Simamkele Namba
Shiniqwa Lamprecht
Shanidine Bezuidenhout
Catha Jacobs
Ayanda Malinga
Lerato Makua
Maceala Samboya
Shannon Lee Windvogel
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