Coach Swys de Bruin has named 10 uncapped players in his first 34-woman alignment camp of 2026. Nadine de Klerk, meanwhile, is off to the SVNS World Championship in Hong Kong this week. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Springbok Women head coach Swys de Bruin has included 10 uncapped players in a 34-player squad for the team’s first alignment camp of 2026, which started on Sunday.
With a demanding season ahead – including the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in May, two home Tests against the US in July, and a September clash with New Zealand’s Black Ferns – De Bruin has prioritised integrating new talent into the national set-up. A total of 14 Tests are scheduled for the year, making early alignment a key focus for De Bruin.
The inclusion of 10 new players is a notable feature of the squad, offering emerging players an opportunity to stake a claim alongside more experienced internationals at the camp, which ends on Tuesday. Their call-ups come partly in response to the absence of several established players who are unavailable.
A number of squad members from last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup are in camp, although Danelle Lochner and Micke Gunter remain unavailable due to club commitments in England. Meanwhile, a few senior players will miss the camp due to Springbok Women’s Sevens commitments, as they prepare for the SVNS World Championship in Hong Kong next weekend. Others are sidelined through injury.
Those unavailable include Ayanda Malinga, Zintle Mpupha, Lerato Makua, Catha Jacobs, Maceala Samboya, Nadine Roos, Sizophila Solontsi, Aseza Hele, and Libbie Janse van Rensburg. Mpupha and Eloise Webb are away on Sevens duty, after being recalled by coach Cecil Afrika. Afrika also called on the uncapped duo of Jané Mulder and Owami Mohuli for the trip to Hong Kong.
While the Bulls Daisies make up the bulk of the squad, players from six other provinces have also been selected, with strong performances in the recently completed Women’s Super League 1 earning them national recognition. Now, it is about grabbing the chance to impress ahead of the season.
“We have some injuries amongst our senior players and others are away on Sevens duty, so we needed to plan around that,” said De Bruin.
“There were a couple of younger players in the tournament that showed promise, and we invited them to have a closer look at their abilities. It is an exciting time for all of us as we take our first steps towards a bumper season.”