The Springbok Women will host their counterparts from the USA in a historic two-Test series in July in Johannesburg and Pretoria, where they will play curtain-raisers for the Springboks’ Nations Cup matches.
The two Tests, at Ellis Park (July 4) and Loftus Versfeld (July 11), will form part of double headers when the Boks host England and Scotland respectively.
The Bok Women and the USA have never met in South Africa before. Their last encounter was in March 2024, when the USA won 38-17 in London.
This news follows the announcement last month that the Springbok Women will be playing the Black Ferns of New Zealand as part of a double header at the third Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on September 4, in what is yet another first clash on home soil.
Springbok Women’s coach Swys de Bruin says the USA fixtures are a big boost for the squad.
“Not only will we play two double headers with the Springboks, which is massive for us, but it falls in line with our objective to play as many top ten teams as possible in the new World Cup cycle,” said De Bruin.
“Our ambitions for the next Women’s World Cup in Australia are well documented by now, and these two Tests will be a brilliant start towards that goal.
“The USA plays in the Pacific Four Series every year, exposing them to the high-intensity rugby of Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, a luxury we did not have in previous years. But thanks to World Rugby’s new format of the top 12-ranked sides playing each other, and SA Rugby’s commitment to make these happen, these objectives can now become a reality.”
The USA Eagles Women’s General Manager of High Performance, Tamara Sheppard, was equally pleased about the fixtures.
“Touring South Africa is a great opportunity for us to keep growing and developing against a World Cup quarter-final team,” said Sheppard.
“We’re excited to embrace the challenge to play in front of some of the passionate rugby fans in the world, and it will be an incredible experience for this developing Eagles group to test ourselves across the two Test matches.”
The USA Women Eagles are ranked eighth in the world, while the Springbok Women are at an all-time high of 10th, following the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, where South Africa reached the quarter-finals for the first time.
The Bok Women were knocked out by New Zealand, while the USA bowed out at the same stage after a defeat to Canada, the eventual runners-up.
