South Africa Women vs. Ireland Women: October 31 Kickoff, Teams and WXV Preview

Match preview, verified October 31, 2026 before kickoff: South Africa Women host Ireland Women at Athlone Sports Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, October 31, in the final round of the 2026 WXV Global Series. The scheduled kickoff is 3:00 p.m. South African Standard Time (SAST, UTC+02:00), or 1:00 p.m. UTC. In Ireland, that is 1:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+00:00) on the same Saturday. The official fixture identifies this as a separate Test from October 24, when Ireland won 40–27 at the same ground. No October 31 score or outcome had been confirmed at the time of this pregame check.

South Africa vs. Ireland: Kickoff, location and match information

The World Rugby match page and South African Rugby Union's fixture announcement confirm the date, venue and kickoff. The official Irish Rugby schedule confirms there are two separate Cape Town Tests, on October 24 and 31.

Why the Irish kickoff time needs particular care

An early Irish Rugby schedule listed 2:00 p.m. as the Irish time for the October 31 Test. However, the October 29 Ireland team announcement issued by Connacht Rugby says 1:00 p.m. Irish time. That later figure agrees with World Rugby's 1:00 p.m. UTC kickoff: Ireland returned to GMT (UTC+00:00) after its October 25 daylight saving change. Cape Town does not use daylight saving time and remains on SAST (UTC+02:00). The time in the table therefore uses the actual date of the match, not Ireland's summer offset.

What is at stake in the Cape Town rematch?

Ireland arrive with an opportunity to finish their tour with back-to-back victories against the Springbok Women. Their 40–27 win on October 24 was the first of the two scheduled Tests at Athlone Stadium. South Africa have a second home opportunity to beat a higher-ranked opponent, and their staff have used the intervening week to address mistakes from the first meeting. The October 24 score is useful context, but it is not the score of the October 31 fixture.

In its October 30 match preview, SA Rugby noted that South Africa had conceded 13 penalties to Ireland's eight in the previous Test. Captain Sizophila Solontsi described the squad's focus on correcting its own errors. That gives viewers a concrete issue to watch: whether South Africa can retain possession, limit penalties and stay competitive across the full 80 minutes. It does not establish in advance which side will control the rematch.

The result also carries potential implications for the World Rugby women's rankings. SA Rugby said before kickoff that a Springbok Women win could lift them to a national-best eighth place, while a defeat could reverse their recent ranking gain. Those are the union's pregame scenarios, not a final ranking update. A result in this Test also does not, on its own, prove an overall WXV championship title or a qualification outcome.

Confirmed South Africa Women lineup

South Africa's co-coaches Laurian Johannes-Haupt and Franzel September made changes to the team that lost the first Test. Yonela Ngxingolo moves into the starting front row after Sanelisiwe Charlie was ruled out with a knee injury sustained in training, according to SA Rugby. Lindelwa Gwala starts at hooker, Danelle Lochner joins Vainah Ubisi at lock, and Catha Jacobs moves to flanker. Mary Zulu comes in at fly-half, Byrhandré Dolf switches to fullback, and Jakkie Cilliers shifts to the wing. The following is the announced team, not a claim about which replacements will ultimately take the field.

South Africa starting XV, jerseys 1–15: Yonela Ngxingolo; Lindelwa Gwala; Xoliswa Khuzwayo; Vainah Ubisi; Danelle Lochner; Sizophila Solontsi (captain); Catha Jacobs; Aseza Hele; Unam Tose; Mary Zulu; Alichia Arries; Shiniqwa Lamprecht; Maceala Samboya; Jakkie Cilliers; Byrhandré Dolf.

South Africa reserves, jerseys 16–23: Anushka Groenewald; Anuschka Ekron; Thandile Mazwi; Nomsa Mokwai; Aphiwe Ngwevu; Lerato Makua; Insaaf Levy; Maria Tshiremba.

These selections and positional changes are recorded by SA Rugby's October 29 team announcement and World Rugby's final-weekend selection report. South Africa have retained Solontsi as captain for the Cape Town Tests. The injury confirmation applies specifically to Charlie; it should not be extended to players whose fitness status has not been officially explained.

Confirmed Ireland Women lineup

Ireland head coach Scott Bemand has made two changes to his starting backs. Niamh Gallagher starts at fullback and Aoibheann Reilly at scrum-half, while Dannah O'Brien remains at fly-half. The starting forward pack is unchanged from the first Test, including captain Erin King at openside flanker. That continuity gives Ireland a recognizable platform, but the visitors still have to adapt to South Africa's new combinations and to the conditions on the day.

Ireland starting XV, jerseys 1–15: Linda Djougang; Neve Jones; Eilís Cahill; Jane Clohessy; Dorothy Wall; Fiona Tuite-O'Sullivan; Erin King (captain); Brittany Hogan; Aoibheann Reilly; Dannah O'Brien; Robyn O'Connor; Aoife Dalton; Anna McGann; Béibhinn Parsons; Niamh Gallagher.

Ireland reserves, jerseys 16–23: Beth Buttimer; Niamh O'Dowd; Sophie Barrett; Grace Moore; Jemima Adams Verling; Emily Lane; Eve Higgins; Stacey Flood.

The team is confirmed in Connacht Rugby's official provincial announcement and in World Rugby's October 29 squad report. Barrett is named among the replacements and could earn her second Test cap if used. A name on a replacement list is not evidence that the player participated; actual appearances must be verified after the match.

Who are the appointed match officials?

World Rugby has appointed Australian referee Jess Ling to oversee this closing match of the Global Series. The complete announced officiating team is:

• Referee: Jess Ling (Australia).
• Assistant referee 1: Precious Pazani (Zimbabwe).
• Assistant referee 2: Giana Viljoen (South Africa).
• Television match official: Matteo Liperini (Italy).
• Foul play review officer: Quinton Immelman (South Africa).

These appointments are listed in World Rugby's match-official appointments and on the match listing. The foul play review role is separate from the on-field referee and the TMO; it should not be described as evidence that a foul play incident has occurred.

How the match fits into the 2026 WXV Global Series

The WXV Global Series is World Rugby's cross-regional international program involving 12 leading women's national teams in its top tier. The 2026 matches run across September and October, combining home and away touring fixtures rather than a single knockout weekend. World Rugby identified South Africa vs. Ireland on October 31 as the final Test of the series schedule. This is also the final Test of 2026 for the Springbok Women, according to SA Rugby.

The two sides had met only once before the 2026 Cape Town series: Ireland's 37–0 victory at the 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup in Canada. The October 24 encounter added a second meeting and an Ireland win. The third fixture between the nations is this October 31 rematch. Keeping the dates separate is essential when comparing form, match statistics and head-to-head records.

The World Rugby series explainer connects these recurring high-level international matches to preparation for the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup. It does not mean that the October 31 result alone grants a team qualification for that tournament.

Where to follow the match, broadcasts and eventual result

For the fixture record and subsequent score, the best starting point is the official World Rugby South Africa–Ireland match center. Its fixture identifier is unique to October 31, avoiding confusion with October 24. The SA Rugby match center is another official place to check for final status and team information.

SA Rugby's October 30 preview lists SuperSport as the television broadcaster and the SA Rugby YouTube channel as a streaming option. Connacht Rugby's October 29 Ireland team announcement lists the TG4 Player and app for Irish viewers. Access to a live broadcast or replay may depend on location, licensing and the service's current schedule. No universal worldwide stream is guaranteed by those announcements.

For supporters attending in person, SA Rugby's October 8 ticket notice directs ticket buyers to Ticketmaster and described prices starting at R50 per person or R150 for four at the time of that notice. Availability and any remaining ticket categories should be checked with the official seller; an earlier advertised price is not a guarantee of inventory on match day. The location listed by the national unions is Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, not a similarly named venue outside South Africa.

Verification status: This article is a pregame guide for Saturday, October 31, 2026. The confirmed information is the fixture schedule, venue, announced match-day teams, officials and the October 24 result. The October 31 final score, scorers, substitutions, attendance and any postgame ranking changes were not confirmed when this preview was prepared. Those details should be added only after the official record or reliable postgame reporting establishes them.