South Africa Women vs Ireland Women: WXV Finale Kickoff, Lineups and Result

Updated October 30, 2026 — pre-match team-sheet update: South Africa Women host Ireland Women on Saturday, October 31, in the second and final Test of their 2026 WXV Global Series meetings in Cape Town. Both matchday 23s are now listed in Rugby Australia's match center, and Connacht Rugby's October 29 Ireland selection report independently confirms the visitors' team. The October 31 match has not taken place as of this update, and there is no verified final score for it.

Kickoff: Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. in Cape Town, South African Standard Time (SAST, UTC+02:00), equivalent to 13:00 UTC. In Ireland, that is 1:00 p.m. on October 31, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+00:00), following Ireland's October daylight saving time change. The venue is Athlone Sports Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa. World Rugby identifies the October 31 fixture in its official match center, while South African Rugby also lists the 3:00 p.m. stadium kickoff in its October 30 preview.

South Africa Women vs. Ireland Women: confirmed fixture details

• Competition: WXV Global Series 2026; second South Africa–Ireland Test.
• Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026.
• Venue: Athlone Sports Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa.
• Kickoff in South Africa: 3:00 p.m. SAST (UTC+02:00) on October 31.
• Kickoff internationally: 13:00 UTC; 1:00 p.m. in Ireland, GMT (UTC+00:00), on October 31.
• October 31 score: Not available before the match; check the completed official record after full time.
• October 24 first Test: South Africa Women 27–40 Ireland Women, a different fixture at the same Cape Town venue.

The match closes the teams' two-Test meeting, rather than deciding a single-elimination tournament title. Irish Rugby announced separate Cape Town Tests for October 24 and October 31; the South African union also promoted both dates in its ticket announcement. That distinction is important when checking scores, since the first result can still appear in searches for the rematch.

Confirmed South Africa Women lineup for October 31

South Africa's listed starting XV, in jersey-number order from No. 1 to No. 15, is:

1. Yonela Ngxingolo
2. Lindelwa Gwala
3. Xoliswa Khuzwayo
4. Vainah Ubisi
5. Danelle Lochner
6. Sizophila Solontsi (captain)
7. Catha Jacobs
8. Aseza Hele
9. Unam Tose
10. Mary Zulu
11. Alichia Arries
12. Shiniqwa Lamprecht
13. Maceala Samboya
14. Jakkie Cilliers
15. Byrhandré Dolf

South Africa replacements (Nos. 16–23): 16. Anushka Groenewald, 17. Anuschka Ekron, 18. Thandile Mazwi, 19. Nomsa Mokwai, 20. Aphiwe Ngwevu, 21. Lerato Makua, 22. Insaaf Levy, 23. Maria Tshiremba.

The home side's October 29 selection announcement says Sanelisiwe Charlie will miss the final Test after a training injury. Yonela Ngxingolo comes into the starting front row, Lindelwa Gwala starts at hooker, and Catha Jacobs moves to flanker. Solontsi captains the side. In the backs, Mary Zulu is selected at flyhalf, with Byrhandré Dolf at fullback, Jakkie Cilliers on the right wing and Alichia Arries on the left. These are announced selections, not a guarantee that no late changes can occur before kickoff.

Confirmed Ireland Women lineup for October 31

Ireland's listed starting XV, also in jersey-number order from No. 1 to No. 15, is:

1. Linda Djougang
2. Neve Jones
3. Eilís Cahill
4. Jane Clohessy
5. Dorothy Wall
6. Fiona Tuite-O'Sullivan
7. Erin King (captain)
8. Brittany Hogan
9. Aoibheann Reilly
10. Dannah O'Brien
11. Robyn O'Connor
12. Aoife Dalton
13. Anna McGann
14. Béibhinn Parsons
15. Niamh Gallagher

Ireland replacements (Nos. 16–23): 16. Beth Buttimer, 17. Niamh O'Dowd, 18. Sophie Barrett, 19. Grace Moore, 20. Jemima Adams Verling, 21. Emily Lane, 22. Eve Higgins, 23. Stacey Flood.

Head coach Scott Bemand has made two changes to the starting team that won the first Test: Niamh Gallagher comes in at fullback and Aoibheann Reilly starts at scrumhalf, alongside Dannah O'Brien at flyhalf. The starting forwards are unchanged, with captain Erin King alongside Fiona Tuite-O'Sullivan and Brittany Hogan in the back row. Sophie Barrett is named among the replacements. The full selection and match context are set out in Connacht Rugby’s October 29 report, which matches the Rugby Australia team sheet.

What the first Test tells us—and what it does not

Ireland won the opening October 24 match 40–27. According to SA Rugby's first-Test report and the separate October 24 match record, Ireland crossed for six tries and South Africa for five. The conversion difference was material: Ireland completed five of six conversions, compared with one of five for South Africa. That is a verified account of last week's match, not a forecast of Saturday's outcome.

Linda Djougang scored twice for Ireland in the opener; Aoife Dalton, Jane Clohessy, Béibhinn Parsons and Erin King also scored tries. South Africa's five try scorers were Aseza Hele, Vainah Ubisi, Maria Tshiremba, Lerato Makua and Alichia Arries. The score leaves Ireland seeking two wins from two Tests, while South Africa can split the two-match series by winning the rematch. Neither outcome is confirmed in advance.

The new team sheets offer specific questions to follow during play. Can South Africa's revised backline create and finish opportunities against Ireland's largely retained defensive unit? Will the home front row changes affect the set piece? Can Ireland's incoming scrumhalf and fullback maintain the attacking fluency of the first Test? These are match-preview angles based on the announced selections, not claims about match action.

How to watch and verify the October 31 result

Connacht Rugby's team announcement identifies TG4 Player and App coverage of the match for its audience; regional availability may vary. SA Rugby's October 30 match preview also lists SuperSport and an SA Rugby YouTube stream. Viewers should check the relevant broadcaster or platform for access in their location rather than assuming every stream is available worldwide.

For the official result, go directly to World Rugby’s October 31 match center or the WXV 2026 fixtures list. Rugby Australia's October 31 match center provides an additional official competition-partner listing, including the published matchday lineup. Make sure the page says Saturday, October 31, 2026, rather than the already completed October 24 Test. A live score, halftime score or pregame placeholder should not be described as the final result.

Result status at this October 30 update: The October 31 South Africa Women–Ireland Women WXV Global Series finale is scheduled, with the matchday teams published, but no October 31 final score has been confirmed. The verified previous result remains Ireland's 40–27 win on October 24. This article will require a separate result check after the final whistle before any October 31 score can be reported as final.