North-South clash highlight resumption of Premier Division

All eyes will be on City Park in Cape Town this weekend where DHL Western Province await the undefeated Bulls Daisies in the sixth round of the Women’s Premier Division, with the unpredicability of the home team a real threat to the all-conquering Pretoria side.

The teams had a bye last week in order to give the players involved with the Springbok Women’s successful Rugby Africa Women’s Cup campaign in Madagascar a breather, but it will be all hands on deck on Saturday as teams are positioning themselves towards the second phase of the tournament and a semi-final surge.

The unbeaten Daisies will be well aware of the abilities of their Cape Town opponents, but will still feel confident in the depth of their forwards, with Madagascar returnees Asithandile Ntoyanto, Lusanda Dumke and Anathi Qolo back in the starting pack alongside Vainah Ubisi, who will play flanker.

The WP side welcome back sevens speedster Alicia Arries on the wing and is expected to feed her as much ball as possible, in what will be an interesting clash of styles.

The City Park faithful will get full value out of their speedy backline, but to get the ball to them on the front foot will be a huge challenge.

Sanlam Boland Dames fullback Maceala Samboya will love her return to Hermanus High School when they take on the EP Queens. Samboya made her Test debut and scored her first try at this venue where Bok Women wing Nomawethu Mabenge will also face her former teammates for the first time since moving west from the Eastern Cape.

A winless EP will really have to play very well to keep the home side in check and could find the Dames’ added backline pace to a proven set piece too hot to handle.

Sanlam Boland Dames will be smarting after their only defeat so far, against the Daisies two weeks ago and the winless Queens could be in for a tough afternoon.

The Free State Women are up and running in the tournament and the Premier Division debutants will be looking for their next scalp, having toppled both the Queens and Golden Lions already. They welcome the Sharks Women to Bloemfontein.

The visitors have been hot and cold so far this season and if they can manage the hot part in the big plays during the game, they could leave CUT Stadium with some reward, but with momentum on their side, the Free Staters will turn up to clinch another win.

The Border Ladies, looking comfortable in third place on the log, will be mindful of the dangerous backline of the Jozi side, but such is their overall game that they should be able to withstand anything thrown at them at Wits Stadium .

The Golden Lions will be the first to admit that four defeats in five matches and a negative 100 points differential were not what their pre-season was about and given their proven ability will be very keen to reverse their current streak.

The Johannesburg match will be livestreamed on SA Rugby’s YouTube channel.

Match information:

Free State Women v Sharks Women
Saturday, 25 May 2024
Venue: CUT Stadium, Bloemfontein
Kick-off: 12h00
Referee: Cammy Dyers

DHL Western Province v Bulls Daisies
Saturday, 25 May 2024
Venue: City Park Stadium, Athlone
Kick-off: 14h00
Referee: Ashleigh Murray-Pretorius

Golden Lions Women v Border Ladies
Saturday, 25 May 2024
Venue: Wits Stadium, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Siyanda Pikoli
Livestream: SA Rugby YouTube channel

Sanlam Boland Dames v EP Queens
Saturday, 25 May 2024
Venue: Hermanus High School, Hermanus
Kick-off: 15h00
Referee: Bulela Qwane

Women's Premier Division Women's Rugby Bulls Daisies DHL Western Province Border Ladies EP Queens Sanlam Boland Dames Golden Lions Women Free State Women Sharks Women

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