SA Rugby Charts Bold Path

 SA Rugby concluded its 2026 Community Rugby Workshop on Tuesday, bringing together provincial unions and key stakeholders to solidify a “data-driven” roadmap for the future of the community game.

Held on 9 and 10 March at the Southern Sun O.R. Tambo International Airport, the workshop – themed “Grow Together, Play Together” – focused on making the community game safer, more inclusive, and commercially sustainable.

Bringing together representatives from all 15 provincial unions and key stakeholders, the two-day event – hosted by SA Rugby’s Participation & Development Department and chaired by SA Rugby Deputy President Mr Francois Davids – focused on several strategic priorities, which also included agreement of a new approach to youth safety; detailed plans for engineering further growth in women’s rugby; the implementation of strict safeguarding and compliance deadline for unions and associations.

BokSmart and player welfare; training and education pathways; referee standardisation; the Vuka and Iqhawe Weeks; and Get Into Rugby were some of the other key topics in community rugby tackled over the two-days, in addition to the two strategic panel discussions, which dissected the future of the women’s game and the current landscape of club rugby.

SA Rugby President Mr Mark Alexander officially opened the proceedings by highlighting the indispensable role of the grassroots structures.

“Our clubs are the lifeblood of the game – they are places where generations gather, where rivalries are forged and where friendships endure,” said Mr Alexander.

“Club rugby is more than competition – it is community, belonging and identity. It is here that rugby becomes a family, binding people together across towns, provinces, and cultures.

“This conference is about the foundation upon which every Springbok victory is built, the grassroots where dreams take root and the communities where rugby lives every day.”

Mr Alexander further emphasised that local women’s rugby is not just growing but is thriving – no doubt spurred on by the Springbok Women’s courageous display at last year’s Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals and broke into the top ten on the world rankings for the first time.

“We have witnessed milestones that inspire pride and transformation, yet we know the journey is only beginning,” he said.

“Our commitment is clear: to invest, to expand and to ensure that women’s rugby stands shoulder to shoulder with every other pillar of our game.”

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer set the scene by emphasizing that the health of the professional game is directly linked to the strength of its community base. He noted that the primary objective is to ensure that every participant is accounted for within the national structures.

“Our strategy is built on a simple but vital truth: if they aren’t on the system, they aren’t in the game,” Oberholzer said. “Data gives every player a face and every community a voice. It acts as our GPS, telling us exactly where we are winning, where we are losing players, and how we can bridge the gap between a young player’s first match and the elite level.”

Key highlights and strategic developments discussed at the two-day Community Workshop:

• A new approach to Youth Safety: A major policy shift was confirmed for 2026, mandating that there will be no tackling for players aged U8 and younger. The focus for these age groups will remain on fun and skill-building through Tag Rugby and the SA U8 T1 Rugby format to ensure children are properly prepared before introducing contact at the U9 level.
• Engineering growth in women’s rugby: The workshop detailed plans to expand girls’ and women’s rugby through structured systems like the Betway Women’s Club Championship (scheduled for September 2026) and a dedicated pathway for the SA U20 Women’s team.
• Modernising clubs (ClubWise 2.0): Recognising that modern clubs are community hubs, SA Rugby introduced ClubWise 2.0. This digital guide helps clubs navigate modern challenges like POPIA compliance, digital marketing, and financial sustainability, ensuring they are commercially attractive to partners like Pick n Pay.
• Digital transformation with Footprint: The Footprint system continues to evolve, now offering mobile updates for member registration, live data dashboards, and a new “Footprint Pathways” module for online training and referee appointments.
• Safeguarding and Compliance: Strict new deadlines were set for safeguarding compliance, with all unions and associations required to be fully compliant by the end of April 2026. Compliance for team officials at National Youth Weeks remains a top priority.

The community calendar is packed with highlights, including the Pick n Pay Gold Cup, the Vuka Programme, and the prestigious FNB Youth Weeks. These tournaments serve as critical talent identification platforms, supported by the Elite Player Development (EPD) camps for both boys and girls.

SA Rugby remains committed to ensuring that every player, coach, and referee in South Africa has a digital “face” and a voice in the game, ensuring the long-term health of South African rugby from the ground up.