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Daily Maverick
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
The parallels between England's Lionesses and the Springboks in the art of winning tournaments
Though the sports are different, there are similarities between the Springboks' 2023 Rugby World Cup-winning campaign and England's recent defence of their European title. There are two main ways to win a tournament in sports. One is how the Brazilian men's soccer team did it at the 2002 World Cup. They crushed all challengers as they sauntered to overall victory by winning all their games. The other way is to grind out victories, fighting back when obituaries have already been scribed in relation to the team's campaign. England's senior women's soccer side employed this second strategy on the way to retaining their status as the best in Europe by winning Euro 2025. The Lionesses defeated reigning world champions Spain 3-1 on penalties to defend the title they first won in 2022, after the match ended in a 1-1 stalemate following 120 minutes of fierce fighting. The English victory was sweet revenge for their failure in the 2023 World Cup final, where their Spanish counterparts downed them 1-0. Roller coaster campaign England's tumultuous campaign – which began with 2-1 group-stage defeat to fellow title hopefuls France – was characterised by grit, personality, unity, belief and dogged determination. Following that loss critics sounded the death knell on the Lionesses' title defence, with Spain firmly occupying the favourites seat as a result. Nevertheless, England won two of their remaining group games convincingly – against the Netherlands (4-0) and Wales (6-1) – to seal a spot in the quarterfinals. Those would be the last straightforward matches for the European champions. In the last eight, versus a tough Sweden, the Lionesses fought from 2-0 down to level the match at two all. Eventually penalties were needed to separate the teams, with England securing a 3-2 shootout win. Against Italy in the semifinals it was another marathon match as England clinched a 2-1 extra-time victory to reach a second successive Euro final. Surely their luck would run out in the final? Especially against a Spanish outfit that had swatted aside all competitors on the way to the decider, including eight-time European champions Germany. Yet, somehow England once again rallied from a goal down to level the score at 1-1 and drag the contest in their third consecutive extra-time battle. After no separation there, penalties were necessary, and the Lionesses roared to a 3-1 victory to retain their title. The win made coach Sarina Wiegman a three-time European champion following her orchestration of a smoother Euro win for England three years ago. Her first Euro gold came while she was in charge of her native Netherlands in 2017. Bok-like resilience Through winning their Euro matches by fine margins and also their ability to rally and find a way past difficult situations, the Lionesses invoked memories of the Springboks' 2023 World Cup campaign. Rassie Erasmus's team also lost in the group phase, a 13-8 defeat to Ireland which gave critics ample ammunition to cast doubt on the South Africans' ability to retain the title they had won in 2019. A narrow 29-28 win over World Cup hosts France in the quarterfinals added fuel to the fire of doubt, with the Boks branded lucky by detractors. However, just like the Lionesses, the rest of the Boks' knockout-phase campaign was characterised by slim victories, including a 12-11 win over New Zealand in the final. The campaign highlighted the Springboks' resilience, adaptability and inability to throw in the towel – under any circumstances. Traits which were also visible during the Lionesses' own roller coaster campaign at Euro 2025. Strong leadership Central to both teams being such mentality monsters are their coaches – Erasmus for the Boks and Wiegman for the Lionesses. By all accounts, both leaders are trailblazers and innovators in their sports. By instilling values of 'all for one and one for all', as well as crafting clear identities for their teams, they have built formidable outfits. Fuelling these talented and tenacious teams is the idea of playing for a bigger cause. For the Springboks it is about showing that despite South Africa's fractured past and its prevailing socioeconomic inequalities, it's possible for the people of the country to work together and produce something as exceptional as the national team. In the case of the Lionesses and Wiegman, the bigger picture revolves around the fact that, globally, women's sports are still fighting for the limelight and to be taken seriously. Stories like England's gritty Euro win add more layers to this ever-evolving story as women athletes play catch-up to their male counterparts after years of discrimination. Calm and collected Despite being a passionate advocate for women's sports, on the pitch Wiegman hardly ever shows emotion – for better or worse. She exudes calmness and this has trickled over into her players. 'We have players that have talent and the togetherness of this team is really incredible. But also, the belief that we can come back,' Wiegman said. 'The players say we can win by any means, and we just never, ever give up.' 'She's probably one of the best managers I've played for in terms of trying to make everyone feel loved. She really, really cares about the human side,' midfielder Keira Walsh said of Wiegman. 'Another thing that you notice when you play for her is how calm she is. It makes a massive difference in the 95th minute when you're losing 1-0 and you look to the side and she's very calm. That speaks volumes of her as a manager,' Walsh added. Erasmus is the same in those pressure situations, with an ability to make game-winning alterations even in the most precarious situations. In essence, even though the Springboks and the Lionesses operate in slightly different ecosystems, their mentalities are quite similar. A strong team culture, meticulous preparation and the ability to not give up until the very end make them super-successful teams. DM
Newsroom
2 days ago
- Sport
- Newsroom
How good are these Black Ferns as they seek to defend their world rugby title?
Sixteen players from the 2022 Rugby World Cup-winning squad are making a return, including inspirational co-captains Kennedy Tukuafu and Ruahei Demant, as well as Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who is the leading try scorer in World Cup history (for both male and female players). Woodman has scored 10 tries in her past two test matches since coming out of retirement earlier this year. Jorja Miller, the winner of the Kel Tremain Memorial Medal, headlines the list of World Cup first-timers alongside 2024 Black Ferns Player of the Year Kaipo Olsen-Baker, who, but for injury, would likely have been selected in 2022. All three halfbacks are set to experience their first World Cups, with Black Ferns Sevens star Risaleaana Pouri-Lane joining Iritana Hohaia and Maia Joseph as contenders for the starting position. Hooker is another position with limited experience, with Atlanta Lolohea and Vici-Rose Green serving as backups to Georgia Ponsonby, who is the best in her position by a country mile. There are no test debutants in the squad. Who was unlucky to be cut? What are some of the other issues facing the team? What are the Black Ferns' leading rivals up to? King Dethroned Since May 2024, Hannah King has had numerous opportunities to establish herself, having played in 10 Tests. She started as a first-five for most of 2024 and was even nominated for the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year. However, in 2025, Ruahei Demant returned to the first-five position, and King found herself mostly coming off the bench. Recently, for the Australian Test in Wellington, King was dropped from the bench in favour of 35-year-old Kelly Brazier, who had not played any international matches since 2021 and is better known as a second-five. At just 21 years old, King's career is still in its early stages, and the next World Cup in Australia in 2029 could be her opportunity to shine. However, it would be disappointing for her that all the investment didn't yield a World Cup spot. Might she reconsider her rugby future? The Women's National Rugby League, or a spell in England, could be desirable. Attention Bayfield The least experienced player on the team is Laura Bayfield, who, after only 25 minutes against Australia, is boarding the plane to England. Bayfield, the top tackler in the Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) last year, comes from a military background and covers lock or loose forward. Bayfield made her debut for Canterbury in the 2023 FPC and has played 16 games for her province, achieving 11 victories and scoring three tries. Black Ferns Director of Rugby Alan Bunting has had his eye on the Cantabrian for some time, remarking: 'Laura was a standout throughout Super Rugby Aupiki this year and has put in the work. She topped all stats for the Black Ferns XV in Whangārei and deserves her debut. It's a proud moment for Laura and her whānau.' Bayfield's selection likely comes at the expense of Maama Vaipulu, who was not only very impressive in her seven Tests but also holds two Super Rugby Aupiki titles with the Blues and a 2023 FPC Premiership title with Auckland, making her a domestically elite player. Vaipulu is physically imposing, an explosive athlete from a volleyball background. Bayfield is more in the workhorse category, as is Chelsea Bremner, who played all 12 Tests in 2022 but has struggled to hit those heights since. Was Vaipulu covering the flanks considered? Bayfield, with less experience and silverware, has made a rapid ascent. Ruby World Cup? Social media went into meltdown when it was announced that Ruby Tui wouldn't be heading to England. However, this decision isn't surprising given the Black Ferns are stacked when it comes to wingers. Frankly, it would have been a scandal to exclude Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, Katelyn Vahaakolo, or Ayesha Leti-I'iga from the team. When Bunting was asked about the possibility of Tui being recalled, he replied, 'The door's not closed, but performances matter.' Despite scoring two tries and delivering a high-energy performance in a tough trial match, and a try in the Black Ferns' 37-12 victory over Australia, Tui's efforts weren't enough to regain her place. Is this harsh? In a position where raw speed is crucial, Tui's near decade in age difference compared with Vahaakolo and Leti-I'iga may have counted against her. Spare a thought for Mererangi Paul. Paul brings greater versatility than Tui, as she can play at centre and is more accustomed to the fullback position, which Tui has also covered. Paul has an impressive record, scoring 14 tries in 14 Tests, yet she was also cut from the squad. Goal kicking: Does it actually matter? A lack of decent goal kicking options is an area in which Black Ferns selectors have been challenged, but it might not matter, at least not as much as male rugby. In 38 Rugby World Cup matches, the Black Ferns have won 36 times and scored 289 tries, converting just 143 of those. They have kicked 23 penalties, with just two of those slotted in 2022. In the past three and a half seasons, the Black Ferns have converted 114 of 211 tries and kicked 11 penalty goals in 31 Test matches. The most penalties they have kicked in a single game is two, and that was in a 27-29 loss to Ireland. The advent of professionalism hasn't resulted in a significant improvement in the Black Ferns' goal kicking success rate. However, the inclusion of Renee Holmes suggests it is at the forefront of selectors' minds. Holmes kicked 16 of the Black Ferns' 29 conversions in 2024 and 19 of their 45 in the ground-breaking 2022 season, where they won a dozen internationals on the trot. With only one outing against Australia, in July, and a one-from-five goal-kicking record, Holmes' past reputation with the boot can be the only explanation for her rapid ascent from outcast to tourist. Albeit a smaller sample size, the goal kicking of England and France was outstanding in the 2025 Six Nations. The Roses were on target with 27 out of 39 kicks, but French fullback Morgane Bourgeois was kicking them like Thomas Ramos, with 26 goals from 29 attempts. Oh Canada If all goes according to plan, the Black Ferns and Canada are likely to top their respective groups and face each other in the semi-finals. This week, Canada announced their 32-player squad, which includes 21 returning players from the previous campaign. The team will be captained by Alexandra Tessier, a nominee for the 2024 World Rugby Player of the Year, who is set to compete in her third Rugby World Cup. Veterans Tyson Beukeboom, Olivia DeMerchant, and Karen Paquin will also be participating in their fourth Rugby World Cup. Sophie de Goede, a goal kicking loose forward, might be the best women's rugby player on the planet and is vitally returning from a serious knee injury. Canada nearly pulled off an upset against the Black Ferns Sevens in the 2024 Paris Olympic final. Six players from that team—Caroline Crossley, Fancy Bermudez, Florence Symonds, Olivia Apps, Asia Hogan-Rochester, and Taylor Perry—are featured in the World Cup squad. Since 2023, Canada has lost just five of 20 test matches, including a historic victory against the Black Ferns in 2024 and two wins over France. England The numbers are imposing: 55 wins in the last 56 Tests, including a streak of 25 consecutive victories. Officially ranked World Number One for 244 successive weeks, England have won 42 home games in a row since 2016. The Red Roses World Cup squad comprises 32 players with a total of 1,374 international caps among them, including 24 players with previous World Cup experience. Marlie Packer and Alex Matthews are heading to their fourth tournaments and Emily Scarratt (118 Tests, 103 wins, 789 points) will attend her fifth. What's new? Abi Burton, May Campbell, Mackenzie Carson, Kelsey Clifford, Maddie Feaunati, Lilli Ives Campion, Jade Shekells, and Emma Sing are all making their tournament debuts. Carson originally switched her allegiance from Canada and has been a strong anchor for the English scrum, boasting 21 Test wins since 2023. She plays for Gloucester-Hartpury, who have won the past two English Premier Leagues. Maddie Feaunati previously played for Wellington, where her father, former Samoan international Isaac Fe'aunati, lived both before and after his time in England. Like her father, she is known for being an aggressive loose forward. In their match against the Black Ferns in Vancouver last year, England secured a decisive 49-31 victory, with all nine tries scored by outside backs and only two converted. England has transformed its playing style from the dull, set-piece-dominated approach of 2022. However, they can still revert to type, having successfully shut down a bold Canada in one of their few genuine contests last year, winning 21-12. France created chaos in the second half of the Six Nations decider in May with their expansive, unpredictable attack resulting in a 43-32 loss. England was a mile in front at halftime but looked genuinely flustered against a side with size and spontaneity. The Black Ferns need to do the same, but with a bit more calculation than the cavalier style of 2022, and they might have a fighting chance.
The South African
15-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Grey College get yet another Springbok old boy
Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe, and Neethling Fouche will all make their Springbok debuts against Georgia in Nelspruit on Saturday. The trio will become Springboks #950, #951 and #952. Kick-off is at 17:10. Meanwhile, double Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi returns from injury to take over the captaincy for first time this season in an exciting squad named by Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus for the final Incoming Series match at the Mbombela Stadium. Venter, who was called up to the squad in June as injury cover at prop, will start in completely new front row with fellow prop Fouche and hooker Van der Merwe, who both had their first taste of Springbok rugby in the team's 54-7 victory against the Barbarians, while Kolisi features in a loose trio with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Cobus Wiese after missing the last three matches due to niggles. The three uncapped front rankers will increase the number of newly capped players this season to seven after Vincent Tshituka (flanker), Wiese, Asenathi Ntlabakanye (prop), and Ethan Hooker (utility back) all made their Test debuts against Italy. Erasmus's team features only five players who started last week, and eight in total from the match-23 that defeated Italy 45-0 in Gqeberha. The inclusion of Kolisi and Venter in the squad, meanwhile, increases the size of the group used by Erasmus so far this season to 46 players, with the matchday squad featuring 15 Rugby World Cup winners. The five players who retained their places in the starting line-up are Edwill van der Merwe (wing), Canan Moodie (utility back), Grant Williams (scrumhalf), Du Toit, and Ruan Nortje (lock), while Conus Wiese and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (flyhalf) are promoted from the bench to starting team, with Thomas du Toit (prop) starting among the replacements. Edwill van der Merwe, who scored two tries in his second match in the green and gold last week, has been named in a playmaking back three with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Aphelele Fassi, while Moodie joins forces with Damian de Allende in the midfield, and Williams pairs up with Feinberg-Mngomezulu at halfback. Up-front, apart from a new-look front row and rejigged loose trio, Eben Etzebeth will link up with Ruan Nortje in the engine room. Erasmus named a five-three split in favour of the forwards on the replacements bench, where Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch (both props) and Bongi Mbonambi (hooker) will serve as the impact front row, along with RG Snyman (lock) and Kwagga Smith (loose forward). Faf de Klerk (scrumhalf), Handre Pollard, and Damian Willemse (both utility backs), in turn, will provide backline cover. Neethling Fouche's inclusion will give Grey College their 49th Springbok of all time as the look to close the gap on Paul Roos who lead the way with 56 Springbok old boys. Meanwhile, the Test will have extra significance for Marnus van der Merwe who was born in Mbombela and attended Hoërskool Nelspruit. He will become Hoërskool Nelspruit's sixth Springbok after Nico Wegner, Schutte Bekker, Duane Vermeulen, Marnitz Boshoff and team-mate on Saturday, Faf de Klerk, although De Klerk didn't matriculate from the school, but rather moved to Waterkloof. Finally, Boan Venter was schooled at Hoërskool De Aar and will become the Northern Cape school's first ever Springbok. Rank School Players 1 Paul Roos Gymnasium 56 2 Grey College 48 3 Diocesan College (Bishops) 43 4 SACS 32 5 Paarl Gimnasium 31 6 Paarl Boys High 26 7 Kimberley Boys' High 23 8 Rondebosch 21 T9 Grey High School 17 T9 Maritzburg College 17 11 Wynberg Boys High 15 12 Dale College 13 13 St Andrews, Grahamstown 12 T14 Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool 11 T14 Hottentots-Holland 11 Below, a full list of all the SCHOOLS the Springbok squad for Saturday attended: Position Player School 15 Aphelele Fassi Dale College 14 Edwill van der Merwe Paul Roos 13 Canan Moodie Boland Landbou 12 Damian de Allende Milnerton 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse Paulus Joubert 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu Bishops 9 Grant Williams Paarl Gimnasium 8 Cobus Wiese Upington 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit Swartland 6 Siya Kolisi Grey High 5 Ruan Nortje Wonderboom 4 Eben Etzebeth Tygerberg 3 Neethling Fouche Grey College 2 Marnus van der Merwe Nelspruit 1 Boan Venter De Aar Reserves 16 Bongi Mbonambi Voortrekker 17 Thomas du Toit Paarl Boys' High 18 Vincent Koch Hugenote 19 RG Snyman Affies 20 Kwagga Smith HTS Middelburg 21 Faf de Klerk Waterkloof 22 Handre Pollard Paarl Gimnasium 23 Damian Willemse Paul Roos Paul Roos and Paarl Gimnasium lead the way with two players apiece. Such is the diverse nature of rugby played across South Africa, no other school has more than one player. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
15-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
BREAKING: Siya Kolisi returns for Springboks
Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe, and Neethling Fouche will all make their Springbok debuts against Georgia on Saturday as double Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi returns from injury to take over the captaincy for first time this season. Venter, who was called up to the squad in June as injury cover at prop, will start in a completely new front row with fellow prop Fouche and hooker Van der Merwe, who both had their first taste of Springbok rugby in the team's 54-7 victory against the Barbarians. Meanwhile, Kolisi features in a loose trio with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Cobus Wiese after missing the last three matches due to niggles. The three uncapped front rankers will increase the number of newly capped players this season to seven after Vincent Tshituka (flanker), Wiese, Asenathi Ntlabakanye (prop), and Ethan Hooker (utility back) all made their Test debuts against Italy. Erasmus' team features only five players who started last week, and eight in total from the match-23 that defeated Italy 45-0 in Gqeberha. The inclusion of Kolisi and Venter in the squad, meanwhile, increases the size of the group used by Erasmus so far this season to 46 players, with the matchday squad featuring 15 Rugby World Cup winners. The five players who retained their places in the starting lineup are Edwill van der Merwe (wing), Canan Moodie (utility back), Grant Williams (scrumhalf), Du Toit, and Ruan Nortje (lock), while Conus Wiese and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (flyhalf) are promoted from the bench to starting team, with Thomas du Toit (prop) starting among the replacements. Edwill van der Merwe, who scored two tries in his second match in the green and gold last week, has been named in a playmaking back three with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Aphelele Fassi, while Moodie joins forces with Damian de Allende in the midfield, and Williams pairs up with Feinberg-Mngomezulu at halfback. Up front, apart from a new-look front row and rejigged loose trio, Eben Etzebeth will link up with Ruan Nortje in the engine room. Kick off on Saturday is at 17:10. 15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 11 caps, 35 points (7t)14 – Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 2 caps, 15 pts (3t)13 – Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 13 caps, 30 pts (6t)12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 88 caps, 55 points (11t)11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 25 caps, 95 points (19t)10 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 9 caps, 52 points (14c, 8p) 9 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 17 caps, 25 pts (5t)
IOL News
04-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Jake White era ends at Bulls – Search begins for new head coach
End of the road The Bulls have announced that head coach Jake White has left his position at the franchise. Photo: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers After weeks of speculation, former Springbok coach Jake White has left the Bulls after five years in charge of the Tshwane-based franchise. It had widely been reported after last month's United Rugby Championship final, won 32–7 by Leinster, that a number of Bulls players were not happy with White's comments. It was the third URC final the Bulls had lost in the last four years, and White complained in the post-match press conference that the players available to him were not on the same level as Leinster's. This led to a player revolt, reportedly led by captain Ruan Nortje and Marcell Coetzee, who took their complaints that they were not happy with his leadership style to management. It was also reported that White and his assistant coaches Chris Rossouw and Andries Bekker had fallen out. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Now, it seems the Bulls have acted on those complaints and relieved the 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning coach of his position. 'Jake has tremendous rugby IP, and that has been visible in the way he was able to transfer it into our structures, and as a club we remain grateful for those contributions made during his tenure,' Bulls CEO Edgar Rathbone said in a statement on Friday. 'He did amazing work here, and it was a privilege to work with him as he helped our team become a superpower again. He has given us a great platform to build upon with a talented crop of young players who are just finding their true offering. 'He also helped the bigger playing group develop, with 10 emerging to play for the Springboks. This encouraging growth also ensured we were often in the mix for silverware.' Commenting on his departure, White said: 'I would like to thank all the loyal supporters, the Bulls staff that worked tirelessly, and the players for their hard work and dedication. I wish Blue Bulls Rugby Union president Willem Strauss and the amateur game lots of success in the future. 'To the shareholders, I will always be grateful for all the support and financial backing they gave, far and beyond any other club. Thank you for the privilege. 'To the board for their support and CEO Edgar Rathbone, coaches, and management – it was great to be part of this winning culture. To be part of Bulls rugby history has been an absolute honour. I wish Bulls rugby all the best. Hou die blou bol!' Former Lions coach Johan Ackermann, as well as Bath's Johann van Graan, are the favourites to replace White as coach. IOL Sport
