New captain to lead Springbok Women in Suva clash

Libbie Janse van Rensburg is set to make her debut as captain of the South Africa women's rugby team when they face Fiji in Suva on Saturday. The flyhalf becomes the 12th player to captain the Springbok Women since the team's inception in 2004.

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Babalwa was not considered for this match as she is in the final days of a recovery plan, but we have full faith in Libbie, who as vice-captain was part of the leadership and decision-making anyway. She has the backing of a strong group of leaders in the squad, while at flyhalf, she is used to calling the plays and running the game anyway.

Janse van Rensburg steps into the leadership role as regular captain Babalwa Latsha continues her recovery from an injury. Co-coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt expressed full confidence in Janse van Rensburg, noting her experience as vice-captain and her role in directing play from flyhalf. "She has the backing of a strong group of leaders in the squad, while at flyhalf, she is used to calling the plays and running the game anyway," Johannes-Haupt stated.

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The personnel are a bit different, but the mindset remains the same and I expect a solid effort from all those selected. We had some good sessions since we arrived here, and we are looking forward to the challenge from Fiji.

This match sees several adjustments to the squad. Janse van Rensburg is the sole backline player retained from the previous Test against the USA Eagles Women. Among the forwards, only Vainah Ubisi and Sizophila Solontsi will start again. A total of 13 players from the matchday 23 against the USA have been kept.

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Shiniqwa did really well after that, moving to sevens, but I am very happy to see her back here. The sevens players selected for the weekend are now fully integrated with us and ready to resume their fifteens careers. We are looking for a significant contribution from all of them this weekend.

Notably, Shiniqwa Lamprecht is poised to make her Test debut at center. Additionally, sevens regulars Patience Mokone and Zintle Mpupha will make their first starts of the year. Experienced players Aseza Hele and Lindelwa Gwala also return to the squad. Johannes-Haupt highlighted Lamprecht's development, having previously coached her with the Junior Springbok Women, and welcomed the integration of the sevens players back into the fifteens setup. She also emphasized the importance of Gwala's experience and Hele's physicality for the team's performance, particularly in the set piece.

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We all know what a charged-up Blommie (Hele) can do and I think we are going to see some very physical play from her, while Lindelwa’s strong basics will also be important in our set piece, as it’s an area where we look to stamp our authority.