The Springbok Women tore through the history books in York on Sunday, barging past Italy 29–24 to clinch their first-ever Rugby World Cup play-off spot. It was a tackle-busting, line-breaking moment that also catapulted South Africa into the world’s top ten for the first time.
Head coach Swys de Bruin hailed the victory as a true pack effort:
“We stuck to our game plan, scrummed down as one, and outplayed them in the backs. Italy showed their Six Nations pedigree, but our team simply wanted it more.”
De Bruin said his team’s refusal to back down when Italy came with a determined fight back to twice draw level in the game, as well as the tactical acumen of his coaching staff were highlights in this exceptional win.
“I am so proud of everyone, this was really a team effort, not only from all here in England, but also our support structures back home, and this performance justifies the belief SA Rugby had in us,” said De Bruin.
“We had a plan on how to beat Italy and credit to my coaches, as it worked to a tee. Our first phase helped us to score some tries, while we also outplayed them in the backs with some delightful tries.
“We improved on every positive statistic out there and we are only two rounds into this tournament. It is such a relief and one can only thank God that it worked as planned.”
Italy twice levelled the scores after trailing 17–5, yet the Bok Women refused to fold. Their grit in defence and flair on attack delivered tries that split the Azzurri line like a well-timed crash ball.
Captain Nolusindiso Booi, playing her fourth and final World Cup, likened the triumph to lifting silverware after years of hard graft:
“This win is for those who laid the foundations before us. From where we started to breaking into the top ten. It’s magic. This is just so rewarding for everyone, especially the coaches who prepared us for this moment. I couldn’t have asked for a more rewarding send-off.”
The Boks now return to their Northampton base, preparing for a heavyweight pool clash with unbeaten France. This game will be yet another massive test in their quest to keep this fairytale rolling.
Hey Athletes… fancy putting that endurance to the test in a whole new way?
Introducing: Deadly Dozen. South Africa’s exciting new fitness racing event is heading to Johannesburg on Saturday, 3 May 2025, at the Ruimsig Athletic Stadium — and trust us, you’ve never raced like this before.
Here’s the breakdown: 4.8KM of running journeys. 12 killer workout labours in between. One seriously electric atmosphere that’ll leave your legs burning and your endorphins soaring.
Each labour is designed to test a different aspect of your fitness — from leg burning lounges, burpee broad jumps, and killer bear crawls, to overhead carries, devil presses, and more. You’ll be sprinting, sweating, and shouting “what the hell was that?” with the best of them — and loving every second.
Why should YOU take this on?
You’ve already nailed distance — now add power and grit.
It’s the perfect way to cross-train and build full-body strength.
It’s fast-paced, competitive, and fun as hell.
There’s no pressure, just good vibes, a buzzing crowd, and a chance to try something totally different.
Whether you’re a seasoned road warrior, a trail junkie, or just someone who loves a good old-fashioned “sufferfest” with friends — Deadly Dozen is calling.
You’ll walk away with:
A free FitCard with race-day pics
Access to a full photo drive post-event
Insane bragging rights
A Finishers patch
And that post-race glow that only comes from truly pushing your limits
More than 80% of tickets are already gone, and waves are filling fast — so don’t snooze on this one!
Tatjana Smith has announced her retirement shortly after making history as South Africa’s most successful Olympian at the 2024 Paris Games.
The announcement wasn’t entirely unexpected, as the 27-year-old has consistently expressed that swimming does not define her. She values her life outside of the pool and believes it’s best for champions to retire while on top.
A devoted Christian, Smith has always felt there is a greater purpose to her life than winning medals. Having married late last year and with the next Olympics approaching in her thirties, she said, “I’m looking forward to my life outside of swimming.”
Reflecting on her career, Smith remarked, “It was an amazing battle and I’ve never raced Kate (Douglass) in an Olympic final before. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my career in such a tough competition. I’ve always loved competing.”
In confirming her retirement, she added, “Achievements fade, but people remember who you are. I want to be remembered for bringing joy to others. Swimming was just one season in my life, and now I’m excited for the next chapter.”
Smith capped her illustrious career by winning her fourth Olympic medal—a silver in the women’s 200m breaststroke—bringing her total to two golds and two silvers across two Games.
The frustrating case of SA’s Elroy Gelant missing out on qualifying to run the marathon at the Paris Olympics in August has left a sour taste in my mouth. – By Manfred Seidler
South Africa has been a favourite winter training destination for European athletes for many years. What that means is that they head to sunny SA in their European winter months – our summer – for training in our great weather conditions, when running outdoors back home is likely to be washed out by snow, rain, wind and freezing conditions. Two of these athletes are George Mills of Great Britain and Tom Elmer of Switzerland, who are also part of the ON Athletic Club (OAC), sponsored by ON apparel and shoes. Both have been coming to SA for a number of years, and we caught up with them in between double training session days for a chat about their experience in and thoughts on SA. – By Sean Falconer
Now that I am finally back to enjoying one of my favourite hobbies, travelling the country to try run every marathon or ultra in South Africa, I recently found myself in Potchefstroom for the LetsGo Potch Marathon, and besides enjoying a good run with various running friends, I also delved deep down into the darker side of my sense of humour. – By Stuart Mann
The new (well, almost new) World Road Running Championships took place this month, and besides heralding an exciting new chapter in global road running, the event proved a hugely successful outing for Team South Africa. – By Riel Hauman & Sean Falconer
The 2023 World Athletics Championships took place in Budapest, Hungary in the last week of August, and what an incredible meet it turned out to be! We saw nine days of World Records, Championship Records, Area Records, National Records, season bests and personal bests, watched enthralling competitions and incredible moments of sporting camaraderie, and basked in what was one of the best World Champs meets of all time. (OK, it wasn’t so good from a South African perspective, but that aside, it was a great meet.) Modern Athlete had two reporters at the event, courtesy of PUMA South Africa, doing daily coverage and interviews, and now it’s time for a look back at some of the highlights of wonderful week of athletics action. – By Sean Falconer & World Athletics
