Latest news with #BabalwaLatsha
The Star
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Springbok Women taught chastening lesson despite fightback in big loss to Canada
The Springbok Women were punished for a first-half display littered with mistakes and penalties by Canada, losing 50-20 at a sunny but cool Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon. The second-ranked Canadians punched holes in the South Africans' defence early on, putting the Bok Women on the back foot from the start. That pressure told when Deleaka Menin stretched over the line despite the attentions of Babalwa Latsha after five minutes. Julia Schell added the extra two points. The Springbok Women's pack was solid enough at scrum time, but lineout struggles proved costly. Hooker Micke Gunter struggled to find her jumpers throughout the half. Unfortunately, an alarming error count at the breakdown also cost the South Africans. It also undid much of the good work by the forwards, who worked tirelessly to get go-forward ball. The likes of Latsha, Sizophila Solontsi and Aseza Hele were prominent in this regard. The Bok Women were growing in confidence with 12 minutes played. A powerful SA scrum drove the Canadian pack backwards and they won a penalty in front of the posts. Winger Jakkie Cilliers banged it over to put the home team on the scoreboard. Fancy Bermudez scored Canada's second try after the ball was fed wide to the left from a quick feed off a Canada scrum, the skip pass and wraparound leading to an overlap. Schell missed the conversion, which rebounded off the post. Canada's rush defence was not giving the Bok backline time on the ball, with the South African wings hardly involved in the attacking play after 20 minutes. The usually lethal fullback Nadine Roos and flyhalf Libbie Janse van Rensburg were starved of the ball. This denied the Bok Women an important exit avenue and spark to their attack. The visitors wasted little time in slinging the ball wide, exposing the Bok Women's narrow defence. They also spread their cover defence quickly, leaving little space in the wide channels for the likes of SA speedster Ayanda Malinga to exploit. Scrumhalf Olivia Apps and centre Alexandra Tessier were instrumental in dictating play for Canada. A Laetitia Symonds try for Canada extended their lead to 17-3. With 10 minutes to go until half-time, the South African penalty count was mounting worryingly, especially at the breakdown. Canada's next try was a real sucker punch, with the SA defence caught napping as they stood and watched as loose forward Laetitia Royer canter in to dot down unchallenged. A Flo Symonds five-pointer added to SA's woes. The score was 26-3 at the break.
The Herald
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Latsha backs Bok Women for World Cup knockouts after Harlequins exit
With less than 100 days to go until the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup kicks off in England, excitement is building in the Springbok Women's camp as they continue their preparations in Stellenbosch. Veteran prop and national team leader Babalwa Latsha has expressed confidence and optimism as the squad sharpens its focus ahead of the global showpiece in August. The Springbok Women recently returned from a challenging European tour where they faced an England XV, a France Select side, and Spain. The tour was seen as a critical step in building squad depth and exposing newer players to top-tier international competition. 'The European tour was great as it gave us the opportunity to assess our depth and let the new crop of players experience international rugby,' Latsha told SportsBoom. 'We ticked quite a few boxes on tour, and now we're building from that momentum.' The current training camp features several new faces, including standout performers from local franchises and the national Sevens (Blitzbok Women) team. The inclusion of players such as Anuschka Groenewald from the Under 20 set-up speaks to the progress made in SA's women's rugby development pipeline. 'South African women's rugby has grown significantly in terms of talent,' Latsha said. 'It's great to see young players slot into the system smoothly. I'm excited to see them in action.' SA has been drawn into a competitive Pool with France, Brazil, and Italy. With the tournament format allowing for quarterfinal progression, the Springbok Women have their eyes firmly set on making the playoff rounds. 'The key is taking it one day and one stage at a time. 'We're increasing our training intensity because we know the level of competition in our pool,' Latsha said. 'Italy and France bring experience from the Six Nations, and Brazil is a bit of a wild card. 'I believe nothing is impossible if we prepare well and trust our systems. 'If we stick to the plan, we stand a good chance of making it to the quarterfinals.' Latsha has concluded her three-season stint with English club Harlequins in the Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR), the top-tier women's league in England. She departs after a successful spell that has seen her evolve both on and off the pitch. 'My time at Harlequins was phenomenal. I've grown tremendously, and week in and week out I put in solid performances. 'It's proof of what South African players are capable of when given opportunities,' she said. She spoke highly of the PWR: 'It's the best league in the world in my opinion. The intensity, the diversity, the freedom, and it's top-class rugby. 'I had the chance to play with and against some of the best, and I too could easily count myself as potentially one of the best in the world really.' Though she has confirmed a return to SA, she remains tight-lipped about which domestic team she will join. Speculation suggests a move to the Bulls Daisies or a return to Western Province. 'My focus now is the World Cup. I'll decide on my next club after the tournament. 'But I look forward to bringing what I've learnt back into our domestic league.' — SportsBoom
