Nine capped Springbok Women have been included in a squad of 30 players that assembled in Somerset West on Sunday for the first of two camps culminating in a two-match tour for the SA Women’s ‘A’ team to Brazil later this month.
The group is part of the Springbok Women Academy set-up, where players not involved in the test match squads are training together as part of the wider national squad.
Among those are Luchell Hanekom, who is returning from injury, and Mary Zulu, who last played for the Springbok Women at the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in Kenya earlier this year.
Several members of the recent Junior Springbok Women team that faced the USA Women’s U20s have also been called into camp.
The squad will be based at the Rhino Rugby facility in Somerset West until Friday, when they will travel to Pretoria for a warm-up match against the Isuzu Bulls Daisies. They will return to their homes until 14 August and will assemble in Somerset West again.
The Springbok Women ‘A’-squad of 26 players will then leave for Johannesburg on 19 August and depart for Brazil a day later. They will face their Brazilian counterparts on 24 and 29 August in Brasilia and Sao Paulo, before returning to South Africa.
Springbok Women Academy training squad:
Forwards (16):
Anusckha Ekron*, Iviwe Jonas, Anothando Khatshwa, Jada Davids, Luchell Hanekom*, Abigail Smit*, Kaylee Daniels, Courtney Hickson, Yonelisa Plaatjie, Kaylin Heuvel (all DHL Western Province), Sino Bhengu*, Avela Gwala (both Sharks Women), Karabo Lebotsa (Isuzu Bulls Daisies), Zethu Gcaza*, Emihle Mayitshe (both Border Ladies), Yonda Nokwe (EP Queens).
Backs (14):
Insaaf Levy*, Anita Fazi (both DHL Western Province), Hayley Hardneck, Chloe Adams (both Sanlam Boland Dames), Mary Zulu* (Sharks Women), Lithalethu Nombakuse, Yhadwa de Vos, Yamkela Funani (all EP Queens), Lilitha Vakalisa (Border Ladies), Thobile Msizazwe, Shaunique Alexander*, Lidene Kruger, Jakkie Cilliers* (all Isuzu Bulls Daisies), Isabella Nel (unattached).