The Springbok Women lost 34-26 to New Zealand's Black Ferns XV, but the visitors were made to work much harder for the victory than the scoreline indicates.
It's a sign of the ambition of the Springbok women, and of coach Swys de Bruin, that he tempered his praise of the team despite putting on one of the best performances in the history of the women's programme at the weekend.
The Bok women lost 34-26 to a New Zealand XV at Athlone Stadium. We are so used to seeing the men's team win that some might raise eyebrows at praising the women despite losing. But it's all about context.
Four years ago, the Bok women's programme barely existed, but thanks to a concerted effort by the South African Rugby Union (Saru) in 2021, the trend is upwards.
Initially, Saru hired former Irish international Lynne Cantwell to build the programme, which she did. She established a provincial tournament and identified talent. The framework and foundation she laid in four years in the job is starting to bear fruit.
When the programme began, fewer than 3,000 women played rugby at club, or "open" level; that number is growing.
Cantwell's careful approach saw a...
