Eight players with national experience in both the 15s and sevens formats were named in the 28-member SA Select Women’s training squad for a 12-day training camp starting in Stellenbosch on Friday, as the side prepare to travel to England in October for the first national tour since the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2014.

South Africa’s top female referee Aimee Barrett-Theron will celebrate Women’s Day on a memorable note on Wednesday.

The Springbok Women’s Sevens team has been bolstered by the return of three key players for the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series Qualifier in Hong Kong from 6-8 April, while Megan Comley will make her debut for Renfred Dazel’s team.

By Mark Etheridge A weakened South African sevens side went down 14-12 to African neighbours Kenya in their second Pool B game of the Cape Town leg of the series on Saturday.

The crop of new additions who joined the Springbok Sevens training squad in Stellenbosch have slotted in well as the group notched up a gear in their preparation for the next two rounds of the HSBC Sevens World Series in Dubai and Port Elizabeth.

By Mark Etheridge South Africa came up well short in the opening IRB World Series sevens rugby tournament in Gold Coast, Australia on Sunday.