Mathrin Simmers welcomes Challenger Series first leg third place finish

South Africa’s third place finish saw them collect enough points to secure a top four spot in the first Challenger event at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Simmers says they want to reset and build on their attacking force to seal more wins in the second leg.

“Third place is not what we had in mind going into the tournament, but we are happy to take bronze. It is good that we finished in the top four and we take the points. We want to reset and work on our attacking force to help seal more wins in the second leg,’’ said Simmers.

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Despite their convincing 29-0 win over Colombia, South Africa still struggled in the semi-final and lost 19-15 to African counterparts Kenya.

Simmers says this proves that women’s rugby in Africa is starting to take shape and teams are starting to show up in big tournaments.

“The match against Kenya was really tough, they knew when to capitalise on our mistakes. But more than anything this proves the growth of women’s rugby in Africa, and three teams representing  the continent are really showing up in the tournament,’’ added Simmers

Simmers further praised her teammate Kayla Swart who registered her first international try.

“It is good to always create a space where debutants can flourish. I am happy that Swart managed to score her first international try and I believe there are greater things we can expect from her,’’ she expressed.