When you’ve got riches at one position, you exploit them ruthlessly. The Springbok Women have been spoilt for choice at hooker over the last few seasons, Lindelwa Gwala holding the record for most caps in the green and gold at No 2, Roseline Botes and Luchell Hanekom bringing World Cup pedigree, and Mike Gunter flying the flag in England’s Women’s Premiership with Leicester Tigers. It’s an embarrassment of riches that would make most international sides green with envy.

Also read: Solontsi takes bok women captaincy as Latsha injury rocks camp

But amidst this congested queue of talent, one name has been forcing her way to the front with undeniable authority. Step forward Anushka Groenewald, the 21-year-old from Brackenfell Rugby Club who’s been absolutely sensational throughout 2026.

Come Saturday at Athlone Stadium, Groenewald is expected to add another cap to her collection when South Africa host Ireland in the WXV Global Series. But this one’s different. This one’s personal. This one’s at home.

Full circle in the Mother City

For a Cape Town girl who cut her teeth at DF Akademie in the northern suburbs before discovering rugby in her final year at school, playing in front of her own people represents the ultimate validation. It’s one thing to hear congratulations down a phone line from thousands of kilometres away. It’s quite another to hear your family roaring from the stands as you pack down in a scrum.

“I have played in 13 Tests, but as last year’s three were sort of standalone in the Rugby Africa Cup in Madagascar, this year was bumper to bumper against the likes of the USA, Fiji, Wales, Italy and Spain, which was great and not something I anticipated at the start of the season,” Groenewald explained.

Thirteen caps at 21. A baptism of fire against top-tier opposition across multiple continents. But none of it quite compares to what awaits on Saturday, provided, as expected, her name appears on Thursday’s team sheet.

“This dream season will go full circle if I am part of the squad to play Ireland on Saturday,” she said. “To play at home will be unreal. It is always nice to hear from family and friends on the phone that you played well, but this time it will come from them standing in front of me, in real time. That will be such a special moment for me.”

You can hear the emotion bleeding through every word. This isn’t just another Test match. It’s a homecoming.

The Athlone factor

If there’s one venue that’s become synonymous with the Springbok Women’s rise, it’s Athlone Stadium. Over the last three years, the Cape Town fortress has witnessed something extraordinary: crowds that started modest but have swelled with each passing fixture, creating an atmosphere that rivals anything in the women’s game.

Also read: Settled Springbok women ready to conquer Ireland at Athlone

Groenewald hasn’t experienced it from the playing side yet, but she’s been watching, and she’s been inspired.

“I have never played at Athlone Stadium, but how well did the crowd not support the Springbok Women there over the last three years,” she said. “It was amazing to see the crowds getting bigger and bigger over time and hopefully, come Saturday, we will have a proper crowd in that will be supporting the Springbok Women. That would be amazing if we can beat them in front of our faithful fans.”

There’s the challenge laid bare. Not just to play well, but to win. To deliver for the people who’ve turned Athlone into a cauldron of support.

“We have the belief and the will to be victorious and if the crowd also rocks up in numbers to support us, it could be a remarkable afternoon for the Springbok Women.”

Ireland bring serious heat

Make no mistake, Saturday’s opponents aren’t coming for a friendly kickabout. Ireland are ranked fifth in the world, a position earned through consistent excellence and a playing style built on physicality, precision and relentless work rate.

But Groenewald isn’t fazed by the world rankings. Home advantage, she insists, is the great leveller.

“I have never played at Athlone Stadium, but how well did the crowd not support the Springbok Women there over the last three years. It was amazing to see the crowds getting bigger and bigger over time.”

If the faithful turn out in force again, the Springbok Women will have that priceless advantage: a stadium full of believers willing them forward.

Squad shuffle

The lead-up to Saturday’s clash has been complicated by injuries. Babalwa Latsha and Nombuyekezo Mdliki have both been ruled out, forcing the coaching staff to reshuffle the deck.

Thandile Mazwi, whose last Test appearance came as a replacement against Fiji in Suva back in August, has been drafted back into the squad. She’s joined by the uncapped Anothando Katshwa, who was invited to train with the group for the series and now gets her chance to push for selection.

Additionally, Anuschka Ekron, will join the team for training this week, adding further depth to the options available.

It’s a reshuffle born of necessity, but also an opportunity. Injuries open doors, and someone will seize their moment.

Groenewald’s story is a microcosm of where the Springbok Women’s programme has arrived. A 21-year-old who only picked up rugby in her final year at school is now a near-permanent fixture in the national team, competing against the world’s elite and holding her own.

Saturday represents another milestone. A home Test. A chance to inspire the next generation of Cape Town girls dreaming of wearing the green and gold.

And if the team can topple fifth-ranked Ireland in the process? Well, that would be the perfect way to complete the circle.