Get Into Rugby clinic brings 100 young players together with Springbok Women stars for a day of skills, mentorship and inspiration
Seen Here: The future of women’s rugby starts here. Engen and SA Rugby brought 100 young girls together in Soweto for a powerful Get Into Rugby clinic, where grassroots talent met Springbok Women role models. From skills and confidence to ambition and opportunity, the message was clear: there is a place for every girl in rugby. Photo Credit: Supplied
JOHANNESBURG, 8 September 2026 — The future of women’s rugby received another boost in Soweto last week when Engen and SA Rugby brought 100 young girls together for a Get Into Rugby coaching and mentorship clinic at the Nike Centre.
Held on 2 September, the activation brought together 50 young players from the Golden Lions Rugby Union and 50 from Limpopo, giving aspiring rugby players an opportunity to develop their skills while learning directly from athletes who have reached the highest level of the game.
The initiative comes as South African rugby continues to place greater emphasis on broadening participation and strengthening the pathway for girls and women into the sport. SA Rugby’s Get Into Rugby programme has been identified as a key grassroots development vehicle, with its 2024 figures showing that girls accounted for 52% of new participants and that the programme reached 80% of girls playing primary-school rugby.
Seen Here: Group picture with Springboks and Aspiring Rugby Players. Photo Credit: Supplied
Learning from the best
The Soweto clinic featured several Springbok Women players, including Jakkie Cilliers, Micke Gunter, Patience Mokone, Lerato Makua, Maria Tshiremba, Sinelitha Nxoke, Felicity Jacobs, Nobuhle Mjwara and Xoliswa Khuzwayo.
The international players combined practical coaching with personal mentorship, sharing their experiences of elite rugby and encouraging the young participants to approach the sport with confidence and ambition.
For the girls attending the clinic, the presence of Springbok Women players provided more than technical instruction. It offered a tangible connection between grassroots participation and the possibilities that exist further along the rugby pathway.
Tsholo Tiro, Engen Brand and Sponsorship Manager, said investment in young people was central to the initiative.
“Investing in young people is an investment in South Africa’s future.”
Tiro said Get Into Rugby creates opportunities for girls to participate in sport, develop confidence and interact with role models who can encourage them to pursue their ambitions both on and off the field.
Seen Here: Participant listening to Springboks Player at 2026 Engen Get Into Rugby Initiative. Photo Credit: Supplied
‘There is a place for everyone in rugby’
For Springbok Women player Jakkie Cilliers, the clinic demonstrated the ability of rugby to transcend backgrounds and bring young people together.
“We’ve thoroughly enjoyed coaching these young players and supporting their development. Rugby is a game for everyone, regardless of background, culture, shape or size. There is a place for everyone in rugby.”
Cilliers’ message speaks directly to one of the central objectives of grassroots rugby development: making the sport accessible while creating an environment in which young players can develop both sporting ability and confidence.
Engen has been a long-standing supporter of Get Into Rugby, which is designed to introduce children to rugby through its Try, Play and Stay pathway and expand access to the sport, particularly in under-resourced communities.
Seen Here: Micke Gunter of the Springboks with participants during the 2026 Engen Get Into Rugby Project. Photo Credit: Supplied
Building the pipeline from grassroots to elite level
The importance of programmes such as Get Into Rugby extends beyond identifying future professional players.
Grassroots participation provides an entry point into a wider sporting ecosystem encompassing coaching, refereeing, leadership, administration and other opportunities associated with the game.
SA Rugby has previously highlighted mass-participation programmes such as Get Into Rugby, Vuka, Schools Rugby and Youth Weeks as critical to building diversity and sustainable excellence across the sport.
That pathway is particularly significant for women’s rugby, which continues to expand its competitive structures in South Africa.
The 2026 domestic calendar includes the Women’s Super League, Women’s Club Championship and dedicated girls’ youth programmes, reflecting a broader effort to strengthen the women’s game at multiple levels.
Sport as a platform for confidence
Beyond rugby skills, the Soweto activation placed emphasis on teamwork, discipline, self-belief and personal development.
Angelique Jordaan, Corporate Affairs Manager at Global Performance, said the event demonstrated the importance of supporting the game across its entire development pathway.
“We are proud to be associated with Engen and to support the meaningful contribution the company continues to make towards youth sport development in South Africa.”
The activation was also supported by SPUR and Pick n Pay, which provided meals, snack packs and refreshments for the participants.
For Engen, the initiative forms part of a broader commitment to using sport as a vehicle for community development and youth empowerment. The company renewed its partnership with SA Rugby in March 2026, reaffirming its support for rugby from grassroots programmes through to the Springboks.
Seen Here: springbok group picture at the 2026 engen rugby get into rugy project. Photo Credit: Supplied
A bigger future for girls in rugby
The Soweto clinic arrives at an important time for South African women’s rugby.
Just days after the activation, the Springbok Women made history by facing New Zealand’s Black Ferns at FNB Stadium in Soweto on 5 September — their first home encounter against the reigning global powerhouse. South Africa lost 52-20, but the occasion represented another significant milestone for the women’s game.
For the young girls who participated in the Get Into Rugby clinic, seeing Springbok Women players up close — and then watching elite women’s rugby take centre stage in Soweto — provides a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through sustained participation and development.
The challenge now is to ensure that inspiration translates into opportunity.
Through initiatives such as Get Into Rugby, Engen and SA Rugby are seeking to widen the entry points into the sport, strengthen the development pipeline and ensure that more young girls can see themselves not only as participants, but as future players, leaders and ambassadors of South African rugby.
From the Nike Centre in Soweto to the international stage, the message is clear: the next generation of women’s rugby is already taking shape.
Watch the initiative wrap-up video:
