SA Rugby outlines strategic push to elevate women's rugby in South Africa

This vision was outlined during SA Rugby's second Community Rugby Workshop, hosted earlier this week in Johannesburg.

A standout feature of the workshop was the unveiling of plans to host U16 and U18 Elite Player Development (EPD) camps for girls, marking a significant step towards mirroring the support structures long established for boys.

"The aim is to create equal opportunities for female players and coaches through clear, sustainable pathways," said SA Rugby during its presentation.

This focus aligns with SA Rugby's broader goal, as part of its Destination 2027 strategy, to increase female participation in rugby by 30% over the next few years.

According to Ian Schwartz, General Manager of SA Rugby's Participation & Development Department, a data-driven approach is central to building a gender-inclusive system:

"Data is the new oil in community rugby. It fuels our strategic direction and supports the creation of a gender-inclusive ecosystem where all players and coaches can thrive."

While rugby continues to grow in South Africa, Schwartz acknowledged that women currently make up only 6.5% of registered players. Accelerating growth in this segment is therefore a priority.

Key grassroots programmes are already playing a pivotal role in changing this landscape. The Get Into Rugby (GIR) programme, for example, now accounts for 80% of all girls in the rugby system. Alongside GIR, initiatives such as Iqhawe Week and the VUKA programme, run in partnership with the SA Rugby Legends Association (SARLA), continue to expand access to rugby among girls in smaller, rural, and underrepresented communities.

Another strategic priority is the continued development of the women's club game, with SA Rugby confirming its intention to advance plans for a national women's club competition, complementing the established men's Pick n Pay Gold Cup.

"South Africa is among the few countries globally where rugby participation continues to grow," Schwartz noted, "but we acknowledge that more must be done to create equitable opportunities for women and girls to develop and succeed in the game."

With the backing of all 15 provincial unions and multiple stakeholders, SA Rugby's updated development plans reflect a unified effort to mainstream the women's game from grassroots to elite levels.

The message is clear: women's rugby is no longer a side note - it's a core pillar of SA Rugby's future.

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