SA Womens coach Swys de Bruin expressed his satisfaction with the draw and schedule, noting that the team’s preparations are well under way. Picture: Henk Kruger, Independent Newspapers
The Springbok Women will begin their 2025 Rugby World Cup (RWC) campaign against Brazil in a historic clash at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton on Sunday, August 24 next year.
This Pool D opener marks the first-ever meeting between the two teams on rugby’s biggest stage.
Thereafter, South Africa will travel north to York for their second pool match on August 31, where they will face Italy at the York Community Stadium. The team will then return to Franklin’s Gardens to conclude their pool fixtures against France on Sunday, September 7.
World Rugby announced the highly anticipated fixture list on Tuesday, revealing that hosts England will start the tournament against the USA at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Friday, August 22. Defending champions New Zealand will face Spain in their opening game on August 24, the same day as South Africa's encounter with Brazil.
Swys de Bruin, the Springbok Women’s High Performance coach, expressed his satisfaction with the draw and schedule, noting that the team’s preparations are well under way.
“Brazil will be a fresh challenge, as we have not played them at all, while we have clearer and more recent pictures of Italy and France,” De Bruin said. He added that playing at Franklin’s Gardens, a prestigious rugby venue in England, is a welcome advantage.
“We are determined to come back home next year with our best RWC result ever,” said De Bruin, calling on South African supporters in the UK to rally behind the team during the tournament.
The match schedule has been designed to optimise both fan and team experiences, with family-friendly kick-off times and six double-header fixtures in the pool stages to create a festival atmosphere across the eight host locations.
Fans can look forward to an exciting RWC 2025, with ticket sales opening soon.
Tickets will be available from 11:00 GMT+1 in the Mastercard Priority Access Sale. A two-week ticket application phase will follow from November 5 until November 19.
For more information on ticket availability, click HERE.
Springbok Women RWC 2025 Pool D Fixtures:
South Africa vs Brazil
Date: Sunday, August 24
Venue: Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton
Kick-off: 2.45pm (3.45pm SA time)
Italy vs South Africa
Date: Sunday, August 31
Venue: York Community Stadium, York
Kick-off: 3.30pm (4.30pm SA time)
France vs South Africa
Date: Sunday, September 7
Venue: Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton
Kick-off: 4.45pm (5.45pm SA time)
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