Their journey has been built over more than two decades, with progress happening both on and off the field. There have been historic performances, growing audiences and new opportunities for young girls hoping to follow in their footsteps.
As South Africa marks Women’s Month, here are five moments that show just how far the Springbok Women have come.
The Springbok Women played their first official Test match on 29 May 2004 against Wales in Gqeberha.
At the time, many of the players were funding their own rugby journeys, buying their own equipment and competing without professional contracts.
Fast-forward to today and the team operates within professional structures, with contracted players and greater investment in the women's game.
That shift represents more than improved conditions for the current squad. It reflects years of players, coaches and administrators continuing to push women's rugby forward despite the challenges.
For years, the Springbok Women had been building towards a moment that would demonstrate just how far the team could go.
That moment arrived at the 2025 Rugby World Cup, when South Africa reached the knockout stages for the first time.
The achievement marked one of the biggest milestones in the team's history and showed that the Springbok Women were becoming a genuine presence in the international game.
After years of development, South Africa was no longer simply participating. The team was competing for a place among the world's best.
The growth of the Springbok Women isn't only visible on the rugby field.
Their audience has grown significantly, with unique television audiences increasing by 334% and total broadcast consumption rising by 673%.
Some matches now attract peak audiences of more than 484,000 viewers.
For women's sport, those numbers matter. They show that there is an audience for the women's game and that South Africans are increasingly interested in following the team, their players and their journey.
The more people watching, the more visible the players become to young girls who might be considering rugby themselves.
The Springbok Women are also helping change what the pathway into rugby looks like for young girls.
In 2025, the South African Rugby Union launched its Under-16 and Under-18 Elite Player Development Camps for girls, creating new routes into elite rugby and expanding opportunities for female players and coaches.
It's an important step in making sure the growth of the national team can be sustained.
After all, today's Springbok Women can only inspire tomorrow's stars if those girls have somewhere to go once they decide to pick up a rugby ball.
For captain Babalwa Latsha, the team's progress isn't just about the players currently wearing the green and gold.
She credits the women who came before them with laying the foundations for the opportunities the current squad now has.
“The women who wore this jersey before us laid the foundation without the recognition, support or opportunities we enjoy today. We stand on their shoulders every time we pull on the green and gold.”
That sense of history is central to the team's story. Every professional contract, packed crowd and international victory has been made possible by players who continued playing when the women's game had fewer resources and far less visibility.
And Latsha wants the next generation to keep pushing.
Her message to young girls watching the Springbok Women is to embrace the hard work, get muddy and, most importantly, claim their place on the field.
The Springbok Women's rise is still unfolding.
Their recent victory over Fiji is another chapter in a journey that has already seen the team reach new audiences, make World Cup history and help create more opportunities for young female players.
For Omo, which partners with the South African Rugby Union, that resilience is at the heart of its Stay Unbeatable philosophy.
But the team's biggest impact may ultimately be measured by what happens away from the scoreboard.
Every girl who sees the Springbok Women playing internationally, every new pathway into elite rugby and every barrier the team pushes through makes the next generation's journey a little easier.
The Springbok Women aren't just changing how South Africa sees women's rugby. They're helping shape what comes next.
