Springbok Women return to action against visiting Nomads

Jun 21 • General News, International, National, Womens Rugby • 3701 Views • Comments Off on Springbok Women return to action against visiting Nomads

Zandile Nojoko of South Africa prepares to score a try during the IRB Women's Rugby World Cup match between Wales and South Africa at Surrey Sports Park on August 24, 2010 in Guildford, England. Photo by Bryn Lennon /Getty Images

The Springbok Women’s team will play their first match on South African soil in almost four years when they kick off a two-match series against a vastly experienced Nomads international invitation side in Cape Town on Saturday.

Both matches will take place at Goodwood Rugby Club, with the second game in the series scheduled for 30 June. The star-studded Nomads will also play a midweek match against DHL Western Province at Langa Stadium on Tuesday 26 June, kicking off at 18h30.

During their last tour of South Africa in 2008, the tourists, whose 2012 squad are drawn from New Zealand, Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland and Sweden, beat the Springbok Women 40-34 and 29-0 in a similar two-match series.

Springbok Women’s coach Denver Wannies has called up uncapped Maties flanker Celeste Adonis to start in the number-six jersey, while a further four uncapped players – Katlego Moremi, Mathrin Simmers, Thantaswa Macingwana and Theresa Theron – are named on the bench.

“We haven’t played a home game since 2008 so this is an exciting opportunity to show how serious we are and the high standards that the women play to,” said Wannies. “You can train as hard and as much as you like but the real test is playing actual matches.

“We don’t get many opportunities to play and we can only improve if we play against strong opposition on a regular basis.”

The Nomads have included a host of vastly experienced players, including Wales loose forwards Jamie Kift (88 caps) and Clare Flowers (75 caps), while up front, Fiona Coghlan has represented Ireland on 68 occasions.

In contrast, South Africa’s most capped players are fullback Yolanda Meiring and lock Dolly Mavumengwana, both of whom have won 26 caps.

Both series matches kick off at 14h00, and are preceded by curtain-raisers starting at 11h15 and featuring women’s teams from Maties, Busy Bee, Blue Jet, United Brothers, UWC, Khayelitsha and Tygerberg. Entrance is free.

The Springbok Women’s team vs. The Nomads:

Position	Name	Club/Province	Test Caps
15	Yolanda Meiring	Tukkies	26
14	Phumeza Gadu	African Bombers	14
13	Janine Felix	University of the Western Cape	3
12	Daphne Scheepers	Lilly White	8
11	Natasha Hofmeester	Maties	19
10	Zandile Nojoko	African Bombers	24
9	Fundiswa Plaatjie	Imonti Penguins	19
8	Lamla Momoti	University of Fort Hare	20
7	Nomathamsanqa Faleni	Kwaru	12
6	Celeste Adonis	Maties	0
5	Nolusindiso Booi	University of Fort Hare	10
4	Dolly Mavumengwana	Varsity Saints	16
3	Cebisa Kula (Captain)	African Bombers	26
2	Denita Wentzel	Maties	3
1	Nedene Botha	Defence	11

16	Nosipho Poswa	University of the Western Cape	12
17	Katlego Moremi	Pretoria	0
18	Thantaswa Macingwana	Imonti Penguins	0
19	Nombulelo Mayongo	Thabong	13
20	Theresa Theron	Boland	0
21	Mathrin Simmers	SWD	0
22	Lusanda Mtiya	Midlands	2