South Africa Women 17–38 Ireland Women: Oct. 31 WXV Result, Lineups and Recap

Ireland Women defeated South Africa Women 38–17 at Athlone Sports Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, October 31, 2026. South African Rugby's official post-match report confirms the result and a 14–10 halftime lead for Ireland. This was the second of two WXV Global Series Tests between the sides in Cape Town, not an additional report of their October 24 meeting.

The game kicked off at 3:00 p.m. in Cape Town, South Africa Standard Time (SAST, UTC+02:00), corresponding to 13:00 UTC and 1:00 p.m. in Ireland on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+00:00), all on October 31. Ireland had returned to GMT when daylight saving time ended on October 25. The match's venue, date and officiating appointments are listed by World Rugby.

South Africa Women vs Ireland Women: confirmed result and match details

Result verification: The final score and halftime score above come from SA Rugby's October 31 report, while the Rugby Australia match center and World Rugby's fixture record provide independent identification of the October 31 game. The previous week's 40–27 score belongs to October 24 and must not be confused with this 38–17 result.

How the October 31 match unfolded

South Africa were still within four points at halftime, with Ireland ahead 14–10, according to the host union's match report. The final 38–17 score shows that Ireland widened the gap during the second half. The confirmed halftime and full-time figures provide a firmer summary of the game's overall direction than the earlier pregame expectations or a provisional live scoreboard.

In its post-match analysis, RugbyPass highlighted Ireland's ability to attack wider areas and Béibhinn Parsons' three tries. Its account also described the problems Ireland faced from South Africa's set-piece and close-range forward play. Those descriptions are attributed analysis rather than an official statistical breakdown from World Rugby, whose public fixture display does not consistently surface a complete play-by-play record.

The result does not mean South Africa were without attacking opportunities. They scored 17 points and were in contact at the interval, but Ireland ultimately finished the contest with a 21-point advantage. For a precise account of individual scoring events, replacements or disciplinary incidents, readers should consult the verified match timeline rather than infer details from the final score. The report does not treat an unconfirmed ranking calculation or an unattributed player statistic as established fact.

What the result means for the two-Test series

Ireland also won the first meeting, 40–27, on Saturday, October 24. The October 31 victory therefore leaves Ireland with wins in both games of the two-Test visit to Cape Town. Both fixtures were part of the 2026 WXV Global Series, whose schedule was announced ahead of the international window; Irish Rugby's original schedule identifies October 24 and October 31 as separate matches at Athlone Stadium.

For Ireland, the second win completes a successful two-match sequence away from home. South Africa, meanwhile, ended the two-match series without a victory despite scoring tries in the opening encounter and remaining competitive at halftime in the rematch. These are match outcomes, not statements about any official change to the World Rugby women's rankings. SA Rugby had discussed possible rankings scenarios before kickoff, but an updated ranking position should be reported only when the published rankings establish it.

Team selections announced for October 31

The squads below are the teams named for the second Test, retained from the pregame announcements. They should not be mistaken for a confirmed list of everyone who played or proof that there were no late changes. Any subsequent correction to the matchday roster would need to be checked against an official match report or finalized team sheet.

South Africa's co-coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September changed their forward combinations after the first meeting. The October 29 selection announcement said Sanelisiwe Charlie would miss the game. Yonela Ngxingolo was selected in the front row, Lindelwa Gwala at hooker and Danelle Lochner at lock, while Catha Jacobs took a back-row role. Sizophila Solontsi captained the side.

Ireland's announced side, led by Erin King, included Aoibheann Reilly at scrumhalf and Niamh Gallagher at fullback, with Emily Lane and Stacey Flood among the replacements. The forwards in the announced starting XV were unchanged from the first Test. These selection decisions provide context for the match but do not, by themselves, demonstrate how any particular passage of play developed.

Starting XVs: shirt numbers 1–15

Announced replacements: shirt numbers 16–23

South Africa: Anushka Groenewald, Anuschka Ekron, Thandile Mazwi, Nomsa Mokwai, Aphiwe Ngwevu, Lerato Makua, Insaaf Levy, Maria Tshiremba.

Ireland: Beth Buttimer, Niamh O'Dowd, Sophie Barrett, Grace Moore, Jemima Adams Verling, Emily Lane, Eve Higgins, Stacey Flood.

Match officials and official information

World Rugby names Jess Ling as referee, Precious Pazani and Giana Viljoen as assistant referees, Matteo Liperini as television match official and Quinton Immelman as foul play review officer. The appointments are confirmed for this October 31 fixture. Their presence is routine match administration and is not, on its own, evidence of any disciplinary controversy.

The official WXV event record identifies this specific match by the ID 29248a7f-8bf1-4881-8a5c-e8ac958caca1. Checking that identifier, the October 31 date and the Cape Town venue is useful when navigating schedules and statistics because the teams met at the same stadium one week earlier. The WXV schedule and specific World Rugby match page are the primary competition references.

Broadcast information and where to follow the match afterward

Pre-match broadcaster information pointed viewers in South Africa toward SuperSport and SA Rugby's YouTube coverage, and viewers in Ireland toward TG4 Player or the TG4 app. World Rugby also publishes a territory-specific viewing guide. Broadcast and replay rights can differ across countries, and those earlier listings do not guarantee that a full replay is currently available to every viewer.

For readers checking the score after the game, the most direct source is SA Rugby's October 31 report. World Rugby's match page remains the official fixture and officiating reference, while the Rugby Australia match center offers a separate lineup and fixture listing. This update uses the host union's confirmed result and does not claim that every external live-data service has completed its statistical feed.

Updated October 31, 2026: Ireland Women won 38–17 after leading 14–10 at halftime at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town. Kickoff was at 3:00 p.m. SAST (UTC+02:00), equivalent to 13:00 UTC and 1:00 p.m. GMT in Ireland. Ireland also won the separate October 24 Test, 40–27.