Maria Tshiremba finished as the leading try scorer on the Springbok Women's tour of Fiji after scoring a hat-trick in the second Test at Churchill Park in Lautoka on Saturday — with all three tries coming in the second half.
The 30-year-old winger from Limpopo's Vhembe region made her fifteens Test debut on the tour and wasted little time leaving her mark. Despite only carrying the ball five times in the second Test, she made 81 metres, beat six defenders and scored three tries. She also made eight tackles. "I actually started celebrating before I even scored, I just could not help myself," she said. "The feeling of relief and joy was just so much."
Tshiremba's route to the Test arena has wound through both formats. She began her fifteens career with the Golden Lions Women in 2022, was picked up by the Sevens coaches within a year and went on to score 64 tries across 20 HSBC SVNS tournaments. A move to the Bulls Daisies gave her consistent fifteens exposure, and she was in the Springbok Women's WXV 2 squad in Cape Town in 2024, though she did not feature. With the SVNS season completed, she was selected for the Fiji tour and now holds full Springbok Women status in both codes.
Byrhandré Dolf was the tour's leading points scorer with 17, courtesy of a try and six conversions across the two Tests. Libbie Janse van Rensburg, who converted in Suva, extended her all-time Springbok Women points record to 221 — comprising 14 tries, 56 conversions, 12 penalty goals and a drop goal.
Lindelwa Gwala and Vainah Ubisi each scored two tries, dotting down in both Tests. Xoliswa Khuzwayo also finished with a brace, both coming in the opener in Suva.
Defensively, Sizophila Solontsi was perfect in the second Test with 19 tackles from 19 attempts, while Catha Jacobs completed 17 from 20 and Nomsa Mokwai 15 from 15.
The squad returns to South Africa on Monday and reassembles in Stellenbosch on 26 August ahead of the Test against the Black Ferns in Soweto on 5 September, part of the Castle Double Malt Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series.