South Africa Women vs Ireland Women: Oct. 31 Kickoff, Lineups, Broadcast and WXV Preview

South Africa Women host Ireland Women at Athlone Sports Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, October 31, 2026, with kickoff set for 3:00 p.m. South Africa Standard Time (SAST, UTC+02:00). That is 13:00 UTC and 1:00 p.m. in Ireland on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+00:00), also Saturday, October 31. The game is the second meeting between the teams in one week in the 2026 WXV Global Series, not a replay or a continuation of the October 24 match.

Both starting XVs and their eight replacements have been announced. Ireland won the first Test 40–27 on October 24, but the October 31 fixture is a separate contest and has no verified final result in this pre-kickoff report. Follow the World Rugby match center for the official match status as play unfolds. This guide reflects the pregame announcements available on October 31, 2026.

South Africa Women vs Ireland Women: match details

The World Rugby 2026 WXV schedule and the host union confirm the Cape Town venue and date. The Irish-time conversion requires particular care: Ireland's daylight saving time ended on October 25, so this Saturday's 13:00 UTC kickoff is 1:00 p.m. GMT, not 2:00 p.m. Older promotional material published before the clock change listed 2:00 p.m. for the October 31 game; the newer October 29 Ireland lineup announcement explicitly uses 1:00 p.m. Irish time. South Africa remains on UTC+02:00 throughout the year.

What happened in the first Test, and what is at stake?

Ireland's 40–27 win in Cape Town on Saturday, October 24, provides useful background for the rematch. The official Rugby Australia October 24 match center records six Ireland tries against five for South Africa. Ireland also converted five of its tries, compared with one conversion for the hosts. That scoring difference matters: South Africa showed that it could cross the try line repeatedly, but Ireland made more of its scoring opportunities. These are facts from the first Test, not statistics or a projected score for October 31.

For South Africa, the immediate objective is to translate its attacking output into a stronger overall performance and finish its 2026 Test season positively. For Ireland, the target is to back up the opening win with another away victory, while showing that its combinations remain effective after two changes to the starting backline. A win for either side would be meaningful, but no result can be treated as guaranteed based on the previous meeting.

There is also a world-ranking dimension. In its October 30 preview, SA Rugby stated that a South African victory could lift the Springbok Women to a new high of eighth, while a defeat would drop them back to 10th. This is the union's stated pre-match scenario, not a ranking movement already achieved. The impact must be checked against the official rankings once the game and the relevant rankings update are complete. See SA Rugby’s October 30 match preview for the host union's assessment.

Confirmed team selections for October 31

South Africa's co-coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September have revised their lineup after the opening Test. Prop Sanelisiwe Charlie was ruled out after suffering a knee injury in training, according to SA Rugby’s October 29 team announcement; the announcement does not provide a return date. Yonela Ngxingolo moves into the starting front row, Lindelwa Gwala takes over at hooker, and Danelle Lochner starts at lock. Catha Jacobs shifts into the back row.

Among the backs, Mary Zulu starts at flyhalf, Byrhandré Dolf moves to fullback, and Jakkie Cilliers shifts to the right wing, with Alichia Arries on the left. Sizophila Solontsi captains South Africa. The changes offer the hosts a different set of combinations, but selection alone does not establish whether their execution will improve.

Ireland head coach Scott Bemand makes two changes to the starting XV: Aoibheann Reilly replaces Emily Lane at scrumhalf and Niamh Gallagher replaces Stacey Flood at fullback. Lane and Flood are named on the bench. The starting forwards remain unchanged, with Erin King again captaining Ireland. Sophie Barrett is included among the replacements. These details are confirmed by the Ireland matchday squad announcement carried by Connacht Rugby.

Starting XVs: shirt numbers 1–15

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.

These are the announced matchday squads, not a guarantee that every selected player will take the field. Any late change, withdrawal or official correction should supersede the pre-match teams listed here. The Rugby Australia October 31 match center offers an additional fixture reference.

Three indicators that will tell the story of the rematch

1. Turning tries into points

The first Test produced five South African tries, so simply counting tries will not fully explain the outcome. Watch how often each side converts kicks after tries and whether points are available through penalties. A better South African result would need to show up on the scoreboard, not just in promising attacking phases. Ireland will want to preserve the efficiency that helped separate the teams on October 24.

2. Set-piece stability and territory

Both teams have named established forwards, but South Africa has changed personnel in its front row and second row. The useful measures will be scrum and lineout retention, how frequently either team concedes territory or possession through penalties, and whether good field position leads to scoring chances. These are questions to assess after the match begins, not verified forecasts of which pack will dominate.

3. How the changed backlines function under pressure

Mary Zulu's move into South Africa's No. 10 shirt and Ireland's selection of Aoibheann Reilly at No. 9 put attention on the halfback pairings. Look for clean service at the breakdown, accurate decision-making under defensive pressure and whether support runners are available when the ball reaches the wider channels. A lively individual performance is useful evidence, but sustained team control and scoring efficiency provide a more reliable measure of success.

Where to watch South Africa vs Ireland

SA Rugby's latest preview lists SuperSport for television in South Africa and the SA Rugby YouTube channel for streaming. Ireland's matchday announcement specifies TG4 Player and the TG4 app for the second Test. World Rugby's World Rugby’s country-by-country viewing guide lists RugbyPassTV as its general WXV streaming service, with broadcaster exceptions that depend on the country or territory.

These listings should not be read as a guarantee that every service carries the match in every location. The TG4’s viewing and rights guidance explains that some online programming is restricted by rights. Before kickoff, open the relevant broadcaster's current match listing and confirm access from the country where you intend to watch. No unsupported subscription price or universal free-streaming claim is made here.

Attending the match and checking the result

The match is at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, not a venue in Ireland. SA Rugby has published SA Rugby ticket information for the two October fixtures; ticket availability, permitted entry times and stadium procedures should be checked through the current official ticket or venue information before traveling. Do not use the October 24 ticket details as proof that the same arrangements apply to October 31.

The official match information names Jess Ling as referee, Precious Pazani and Giana Viljoen as assistant referees, and Matteo Liperini as television match official. Quinton Immelman is listed as foul play review officer. Match officials and their roles are published for context; their appointment is not evidence of any future disciplinary incident.

For the final score: revisit the World Rugby match center or the Rugby Australia October 31 match center after the game. Confirm that the entry is dated October 31, 2026 before copying a result. The 40–27 score belongs only to October 24. Once the October 31 result is officially recorded, use the match timeline and statistics to check the winning margin, tries, goal kicking and any disciplinary decisions rather than filling gaps from an unofficial live feed.

Bottom line: South Africa Women vs Ireland Women is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. SAST (UTC+02:00), Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Athlone Sports Stadium, equivalent to 13:00 UTC or 1:00 p.m. GMT in Ireland. Ireland carry a win from the first Test; both teams have named their October 31 matchday squads. The second Test's outcome remains to be confirmed by an official match center.