Springbok Women interim Head Coach Louis Koen invited a group of 35 players to assemble in Pretoria on Sunday, with a travelling squad of 28 to leave for Madagascar on Thursday, 18 May to compete in the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup 2023.

The travelling squad will be announced on Wednesday, a day before departure toAntananarivo, wherethe tournament will be held.

South Africa will face Cameroon, Kenya and Madagascar on 20, 24 and 28 May respectively. The winner will qualify for therecently announced six-team WXV 2 tournament, which will be hosted in the Western Cape in the second half of October.

Koen recalled the same squad that travelled to Spain in March for Tests against Canada and Spain, apart from the injured Aphiwe Ngwevu, while Catha Jacobs and Babalwa Latsha are not available due to club commitments in the Allianz Premiership in England.

Four new players were also included in the wider group as Koen continues to broaden the national squad’s playing base, while five players from the Sevens programme were also invited.

Zintle Mpupha, Simamkele Namba, Sizophila Solontsi, Eloise Webb and Rights Mkhari rejoin their Rugby World Cup teammates after a successful World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series campaign, which was won by South Africa, while Koen invited England-based prop Amber Schonert and three Maties standouts from the recent FNB Women’s Varsity Cup tournament in Elme Kruger (flyhalf), Bianca Augustyn (centre) and Georgia Hassolanidis (scrumhalf).

Koen welcomed the opportunity to bring in some new players: “We took six uncapped players to Spain and five gained Test match experience, which broadened the base for us. The four new players will get an opportunity to train with us and will gain first-hand experience of the intensity and work ethic we expect from our players.”

Koen said the recall of the experienced Springbok Women’s Sevens players is important in providing depth and quality at training.

“They performed brilliantly in Stellenbosch last month,” he said. “We know they are fit and are proven fifteens players, it will just be a matter of aligning them with the way we want to play.”

Springbok Women fixtures (all at StadeMakis, Antananarivo):

20 May: Cameroon

24 May: Kenya

28 May: Madagascar

Springbok Women training squad:

Jakkie Cilliers, Zintle Mpupha, Byrhandrѐ Dolf, Simamkele Namba, Libbie Janse van Rensburg, Unam Tose, Rumandi Potgieter, Lerato Makua, Lusanda Dumke, Sizophila Solontsi, Rights Mkhari, Vainah Ubisi, Yonela Ngxingolo, Asithandile Ntoyanto (all Bulls Daisies), Amber Schonert (Cheltenham Tigers), Asiphe Mayaba, Chumisa Qawe, Shaunique Hess, Bianca Augustyn, Elme Kruger, Georgia Hassolanidis, Nolusindiso Booi, Danelle Lochner, Sinazo Mcatshulwa, Azisa Mkiva, Roseline Botes, Luchell Hanekom (all DHL Western Province), Mary Zulu, Tayla Kinsey, Nompumelelo Mathe, Lindelwa Gwala (all Cell C Sharks Women), Nomawethu Mabenge, Sanelisiwe Charlie (EP Queens), Eloise Webb (Border Ladies), Aseza Hele (Boland Dames).