Mary Zulu, a midfielder for the South African national team, will lead the South African Women's 'A' team on its historic tour to Brazil. This tour is an important step in strengthening the Springbok Women squad.
The first SA Women 'A' team will travel to South America on Thursday to play two matches against the Brazilian 'A' team in São Paulo on August 24 and 29. The squad includes eight players with international experience, as well as promising young players from the Junior Springbok Women and rising local athletes.
For Zulu, who is a regular player for the Sharks Women team and was part of the South Africa squad at the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup, this tour provides an opportunity to solidify her position and help mentor a group whose average age is just under 22.
Luchell Hanekom has also returned to the team, bringing experience from the Rugby World Cup after recovering from an injury that kept her out at the start of the season. Her return follows the successful recovery of Asese Hele, number 8 for the Springbok Women, who returned after an injury during a recent tour to Fiji, where South Africa won the series 2-0.
Hanekom's return highlights the importance of creating development pathways for talented athletes, even when their progress is interrupted by injuries. Furthermore, the team includes players who played alongside Zulu in South Africa's successful campaign at the Women's African Rugby Cup, including Anuskha Ekron, Sino Bengu, Abigail Smith, Zetu Gqaza, Insaaf Levi, and Shaunique Alexander.
However, most players represent the Junior Springbok Women group, which recently faced the USA, reflecting the goal of the new 'A' team. Dave Vessels, SA Rugby's General Manager of High Performance, noted that the tour aims to bridge the gap between junior and senior international rugby, giving young athletes the opportunity to compete at a higher level.
Vessels stated: 'The creation of the SA Women 'A' team and the upcoming trip to Brazil is another big step forward for women's rugby in South Africa, as it strengthens our talent development pathways and increases the depth of the squad internationally.' The team is also demonstrating a growing willingness to move beyond traditional paths in rugby.
Isabella Nel, a former hockey player, became the first athlete selected through SA Rugby's cross-code high-performance selection program. This defender switched to rugby only this year, having played school hockey in the province until 2025. Vessels believes that such an initiative could open up another reserve of high-caliber female athletes for rugby. He added: 'We have amazing female athletes in South Africa, and players like Danelle Lochner, Zintle Mpufa, and Kayla Schwarz, to name just a few, have already made the switch to rugby.'
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