Coach Swys de Bruin praises 'rapid growth' as Springbok Women begin 2026 World Cup journey

SPRINGBOK Women head coach Swys de Bruin expressed his satisfaction after a wider training squad completed a first alignment camp for the 2026 season in Stellenbosch on Friday.

De Bruin said a number of objectives were met as the Springbok Women look towards the next Women’s Rugby World Cup cycle, while he was impressed with a number of new players invited to the camp.

However, De Bruin has his vision set beyond the players only, with the Bok Women’s coach also having words of praise for the seven Women’s team coaches that were invited as well.

“Most of them are the Under-20 squad coaches and I wanted to reward them for the work done as well,” he said.

He added that being in a position to mentor coaches had always interested him.

“Coaching the coaches has always been a passion of mine and I had a couple of productive sessions with just the coaches. We wanted to broaden the base, not necessarily inviting the provincial coaches like we did last year, but those involved with the juniors. 

“It also helped the junior players to have their provincial coaches around during the camp.”

And though De Bruin was duly impressed with a number of first-time invitees from the recent Under-20 Women’s Week and the Betway Women’s Club Championship held in Gauteng, he was chuffed to have familiar faces back too.

“It was great to see the players again that travelled to the World Cup with us, it was very easy to pick up the connection again,” said De Bruin. “The squad really created a wonderful bond over the last couple of months and you can see the confidence they have after their best ever finish in the tournament,” he added.

One also gets the sense that De Bruin is keen to upskill the youngsters so that the Bok culture can filter through, expanding the ranks.

“Yes, it is important to identify the next generation of players, and I think our scouting department did an excellent job with the players they selected to join us,” he said.

“It is clear to see that the interest and uptake in the women’s game is real and the enthusiasm of these youngsters was great to see. It is also great to work with them first-hand, to see how they respond to the various drills and aspects of play.”

He said that eventually, when the nerves settled and they could focus on their skills, their quality would show through.

“They may have been a bit star-struck in the beginning, but they soon picked up the tempo and intensity and contributed nicely to the overall outcome of the camp.”

De Bruin said the club players invited from the Betway tournament held in Alberton also shaped up well, and that he’s impressed at the interest around the Women’s game: “It was good having a chat with them about their ambitions and struggles at that level. We have received so many calls and enquiries from potential players wanting to join. I am really excited about the new season and the potential influx of talent. 

“The women’s game is growing at a rapid pace.”