Defending champions, the Hollywood Foundation Pumas Women, have already booked a home semi-final last weekend, when they completed their league fixtures undefeated, while AVBOB Griquas Women will finish in second place and will host the second semi-final in Kimberley regardless of the outcomes this weekend.
The real drama will be in Welkom, Kempton Park and George, where each of the hosts will have a final push towards the play-offs.
The Leopards, currently in fifth place, will made the trip up the N12 knowing that a bonus point win over the Valke Women may not be enough, but that defeat will certainly close out their season in disappointing fashion.
The team from Potchefstroom have 11 log points and their best scenario will be a win in Kempton Park and defeat for both the SWD Eagirls and Griffons Women.
The East Randers, in sixth place on eight points with a slim mathematical chance of sneaking into the playoffs, have been consistent this year, but their inability to play good rugby for 80 minutes has cost them dearly.
No disrespect to the Limpopo Blue Bulls Women, but the SWD Eagirls will run out at Outeniqua Park as massive favourites. Not only will the visitors from the far north, who are out of playoff contention, have to overcome the travel to George, but they also need to find confidence to win a match in a season that has just yielded disappointing results.
The Eagirls, fourth on 12 log points, will be looking for a full house and lots of running rugby can be anticipated in George on Saturday.
The Griffons Women will know the results of the above matches by the time they take the field for the second half of their match against neighbours, AVBOB Griquas.
The Northern Free Staters are in third place on the log on 14 points but will face a rampant Griquas team who have been playing outstanding rugby over the last couple of weeks. They also know how to win away from home, so this trip to Welkom should not bother them.
Knowing that they have already secured a home semi-final could detract from their effort, but such is their momentum that only an extraordinary effort from the Griffons at the Down Touch Investments Stadium in Welkom will secure a result that will keep them into the top four.
**Match details:**
**Valke Women v Leopards Women**
**Venue:** Barnard Stadium, Kempton Park
**Date:** Saturday, 16 August 2026
**Kick-off:** 12h00
**Referee:** Mthabiseni Mgamle
**SWD Eagirls v Limpopo Blue Bulls Women**
**Venue:** Outeniqua Park, George
**Date:** Saturday, 16 August 2026
**Kick-off:** 13h00
**Referee:** Jade Avontuur
**Griffons Women v AVBOB Griquas Women**
**Venue:** Down Touch Investments Stadium, Welkom
**Date:** Saturday, 16 August 2026
**Kick-off:** 14h00
**Referee:** Inge Stander
The second half was all Griffons though. They scored three unanswered tries for a 31-21 lead. Mtshweni closed the gap to 31-28 with a try that Tinoota converted.
A crucial call for Griffons, to kick for poles when awarded a penalty, proved the difference in the end as scrumhalf Pinkie Touto's kick was successful and edged them into a 34-28 lead. Mtshweni then scored her third, but her team came up short with the missed conversion.
Griquas scored 46 points in the second half of their match against the visiting Limpopo for a massive 73-15 win, their first of the season. In all, they scored 12 tries, with wing Maserati Bangaza bagging four and prop Nicole van Wyk getting a rare hat-trick.
Bangaza opened the scoring four minutes in and Van Wyk dotted down five minutes later. Another try, by centre Jennielee van Nel, had the home side cruising at 15-0 after 11 minutes. Limpopo recovered slightly, with Seetja Mmotong getting a try, before Bangaza added a second for a 27-5 halftime lead.
Then followed the 30-minutes of rugby the Suzuki Park crowd had seen from the Griquas Women in recent times.
They scored at regular intervals to stack up their biggest score in a while. Limpopo did score the last try of the match for some consolation, but their season now seems to be heading to a disaster after three consecutive defeats.
**Scorers:**
**Leopards Women 22 (15), Hollywood Foundation Pumas Women 44 (34)**
**Leopards** – Tries: Portia Mariquele, Onie Sihlobo, Amzolele Gqola. Conversions: Gqola (2). Penalty goal: Gqola.
**Pumas** – Tries: Megan Guambe (2), Pauline Sianga (3), Alicia Mahlalela (2), Jibrine Dube. Conversions: Mahlalela (2).
**AVBOB Griquas Women 73 (27), Limpopo Blue Bulls Women 15 (5)**
**Griquas** – Tries: Nicole van Wyk (3), Siziphiwe Dubulamanzi, Donishea Cloete, Maserati Bangaza (4), Tyrell Wilson, Jennielee Van Nel, Forgiveness Mashele (2). Conversions: Jean-Marie Owies, Van Nel (3).
**Limpopo** – Tries: Seetja Mmotong, Mapula Matsimela, Amaka Mabosi.
**Valke Women 33 (21), Griffons Women 34 (12)**
**Valke** – Tries: Aviva Kaduka, Lucia Yalezwa Xosana, Noyulanda Mtshweni (3). Conversions: Kaduka (3), Evidence Tinoota.
**Griffons** – Tries: Tshepiso Mantelile, Thato Rantai (2), Mmadjadji Mohalali, Line Viviers. Conversions: Pinkie Touto (3). Penalty goal: Touto.
Source: Original report at SA Rugby.
