The Springbok Women have brought Aimee Barrett-Theron into their preparations for Saturday's match against New Zealand at FNB Stadium, enlisting the most-capped female international referee in rugby history to sharpen their scrum execution ahead of what will be the first meeting between the two sides on South African soil.
Barrett-Theron, who stepped back from officiating in July 2026 to focus on breast cancer treatment, is calling scrum resets in training to ensure the Springbok Women understand precisely what pictures they need to present to match officials. The appointment mirrors the men's setup, where Jaco Peyper has been part of the Springbok coaching structure.
Assistant coach Laurian Johannes-Haupt described the move as transformative. "Having Aimee here is a gamechanger. With World Rugby, there are a few things we wanted to tweak with regards to the law. So having Aimee calling the scrum resets is massive, so the girls know exactly what to expect and the pictures we need to show the referees."
The set-piece focus is deliberate. South Africa's maul was a decisive factor when the two sides last met — the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup quarterfinals in England — with the Springbok Women stunning New Zealand through a devastating 15-player maul. That match also saw Nadine Roos and Byrhandre Dolf deployed in the middle of the line-out.
"We have two proper packs, so that is definitely one of our strengths," said Johannes-Haupt. "Our set-piece in general is working well together, so it's definitely something we want to put forward to the New Zealanders."
The fixture is the decider in the Greatest Rivalry Series, with the women's series locked at 1-1. Johannes-Haupt was unequivocal about South Africa's intentions against the world's second-ranked side. "We are not going there just to compete. We are actually going to dominate in a lot of facets of the game."
On the injury front, Chumisa Qawe, Nadine Roos, Sinazo Mcatshulwa and Naima Hlatshwayo are currently sidelined, though all four are drawn from an extended squad rather than the core matchday group. Johannes-Haupt pointed to the growing depth in South African women's rugby — underpinned by SA Rugby's Academy structures, Junior Rising Stars and Hunters programmes, and U18 and U20 competitions — as a buffer against those absences.