The Springbok Women have declared their intent to crack the world's top ten in 2026, with hooker Micke Gunter framing the challenge as the next step in the side's evolution following their quarter-final run at the last Women's Rugby World Cup.
Gunter, who plays for Leicester Tigers Women in the Premier Women's Rugby competition, rejoined the national squad in Stellenbosch last week ahead of the USA Test at Ellis Park next weekend. The 27-year-old, who earned her 16th cap against France at the World Cup, described the training intensity as a welcome adjustment from club level.
"I was quite excited to be back in the squad, this is a very good group and the intensity in training is really high, something I like," Gunter said. "There was a bit of an adjustment from PWR level to this, but that is what you want, this is an international squad after all."
Building on World Cup momentum
The quarter-final appearance marked a significant milestone for the Springbok Women, but Gunter emphasised that the squad views it as a foundation rather than a ceiling. The hooker, who made her Test debut at Danie Craven Stadium in 2021 whilst completing postgraduate studies at Stellenbosch University, pointed to the growing support for women's rugby in England as a template for South Africa.
"They manage to fill stadiums when the women play and that is great to experience," she said. "The vibe around games was great and that is something we can try and build here."
The Ellis Park fixture represents the Springbok Women's first home Test of 2026, offering an opportunity to translate training-camp ambition into on-field progress. Gunter framed the challenge in terms of legacy and incremental improvement.
"We left the jersey in a very special place after the World Cup, but now we need to take it another step, to level up and take that jersey to an even better place," she explained. "Fans can expect a great fight from this team, but also a drive to become better than we have ever been."
The USA Test will provide an early measure of whether the Springbok Women can convert quarter-final momentum into the sustained consistency required to climb the world rankings. For Gunter and her team-mates, the target is clear: single-digit status by year's end.