WITH the senior men’s team enjoying an avalanche of support, backed by much fanfare and goodwill, Mark Alexander wants South Africans to turn their attention to the Springbok Women to help elevate them to new heights.
There has been notable improvement in the national women’s team post-Covid, as they have enjoyed more game time, played in a World Cup and qualified for the next showpiece event in 2025, while also qualifying for the Paris Olympics on the Sevens side.
Nonetheless, as explained by the SA Rugby president, the women’s game still battles to attract the attention of sponsors and partners.
“We really want South African corporates to buy into girls rugby,” Alexander said at the Castle Lager Incoming Series launch on Thursday in Houghton, Johannesburg. “They tend to find money for the men’s game easily, but they are just not unlocking the women’s game.
“We have been speaking to the Minister of Finance about putting in tax breaks for sponsoring women’s sports,” he said, before adding that SA Rugby are yet to speak to new Sport Minister Gayton McKenzie.
“We are looking at corporate social investment (CSI). If women’s sport is so important for our country, then let’s make women’s sport access the CSI funding. It is important that we develop women’s rugby and we should be able to access the funds to help grow the women’s game.”
The Springboks, meanwhile, have a packed year ahead with a baker’s dozen of Tests matches in the coming weeks and months.
They start that 13-match schedule today against Ireland at Loftus Versfeld (kick-off 5.05pm), with the second Test a week later in Durban, followed by a once-off Test against Portugal in Bloemfontein. The Rugby Championship follows before the end of the year against England, Scotland and Wales, the latter of which they have already played and beaten a fortnight ago at Twickenham.
But what are the plans beyond that?
On Thursday, at the launch of the Castle Lager Incoming Series in Houghton, Johannesburg, Alexander further revealed what is to come, reiterating earlier reports regarding an All Blacks Tour of SA in 2026 and 2030.
“The New Zealand Tour will consist of eight games – four against the franchises and one against SA ‘A’ and three Tests,” he said, omitting the franchises involved will be the Bulls, Lions, Stormers and Sharks.
“There will be a fourth Test that we will play somewhere around the world, which we are working out the logistics of. The three-match Test series will be played during the Rugby Championship.
“Those years – 2026 and 2030 – it will be a different looking Championship. We are also possibly bringing out the New Zealand Maori to play Wednesday night games, and the Black Ferns (New Zealand’s national women’s team) or the Under-20s, so that we have a whole rugby jamboree for that eight-week period.
“The (World Rugby) Nations Championship,” Alexander said, referring to the development of a Top Tier tournament slated to also start in 2026, “is still a process. It is going to happen and it is only a matter of time. It is under negotiation but it is exciting.”