Women's Super League 1 (rugby union)
Current season, competition or edition: 2026 Women's Super League 1 (rugby union) | |
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| Formerly | Women's Premier Division |
|---|---|
| Sport | Rugby union |
| Founded | 2003 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Country |  South Africa |
| Most recent champion | Bulls Daisies |
| Relegation to | Women's Super League 2 |
| Official website | sarugby.co.za |
The Women's Super League 1 (WSLR), currently known as Pick n Pay Women's Super League 1 for sponsorship purposes, is a rugby union club competition for women that is played in South Africa. it is supported by the South African Rugby Union (SARU).
History
The first South African Inter-Provincial Women's Rugby tournament was held in August 2002 in Port Elizabeth[1] and was won by Falcons. The first women rugby union championship was launched in April 2003 under the name of SARU Women's Interprovincial Championship.[2][3]
In 2018 SARU decided to reform the Championship which was renamed the Women's Premier Division. Western Province won in 2019 and Border Ladies won in 2021 for the fifth time.[4]
In May 2023, the Bulls Daisies became the first professional women's rugby side in South Africa. They swept to the 2023 title, winning all 14 games.[5]
The 2026 season begins in February 2026 with the newly rebranded Pick n Pay Women’s Super League 1.[6][7]
Teams
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List of winners
SARU Women's Interprovincial Tournament winners
| Season | Winners | Score | Runner-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Falcons | – | KwaZulu-Natal | Port Elizabeth |
SARU Women's Interprovincial Championship winners
| Season | Winners | Score | Runner-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Blue Bulls | 39–0 | Eastern Province | Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria |
| 2004 | Blue Bulls | – | Mighty Elephants | Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria |
| 2005 | – | |||
| 2006 | – | |||
| 2007 | – | |||
| 2008 | – | |||
| 2009 | – | |||
| 2010 | – | |||
| 2011 | Western Province | – | Blue Bulls | Theo Marais Stadium, Cape Town |
| 2012 | Western Province | – | ||
| 2013 | Border Ladies | 41–8 | Western Province | Buffalo City Stadium, East London |
| 2014 | Border Ladies | – | Buffalo City Stadium, East London | |
| 2015 | Border Ladies | 20–9 | Blue Bulls | Buffalo City Stadium, East London |
| 2016 | – | |||
| 2017 | – | |||
| 2018 | – |
Women's Premier Division winners
| Season | Winners | Score | Runner-up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Western Province | – | Border Ladies | |
| 2020 | Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa | |||
| 2021[8] | Border Ladies | 24–15 | Western Province | Newlands Stadium, Cape Town |
| 2022[9] | Border Ladies | 19–16 | Western Province | Hamilton Rugby Club, Cape Town |
| 2023[10] | Bulls Daisies | 69–8 | Western Province | Loftus Versfeld B field, Pretoria |
| 2024[11] | Bulls Daisies | 36–17 | Western Province | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
| 2025[12] | Bulls Daisies | 46–31 | Western Province | Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria |
References
- ^ "SA Women "Scrum" together". News 24. 8 August 2005.
- ^ "South Africa: Women's Team Eyes World Cup". All Africa. Said Puzi. 23 April 2003.
- ^ "Rugby women debut for SA". Mail & Guardian. Phumzile Twabu. 30 May 2003.
- ^ "Border Ladies Clinch 2021 Women's Premier Division". NTU News. Jaco Gangat-Duvenage. 17 July 2021.
- ^ Adams, Mariette (3 May 2023). "HISTORY: Bulls unveil South Africa's first-ever professional women's rugby side". The South African. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ van der Lith, Danie (13 January 2026). "SA Rugby unveils exciting 2026 domestic competition schedule, spotlighting women's rugby". Diamond Fields Advertiser. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
- ^ "Talks of Women's Super Rugby League in full swing". rugby365.com. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
- ^ "WOMEN'S PREMIER DIVISION - SA Rugby". www.sarugby.co.za. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Border Ladies retain Premier Division crown in thrilling fashion". HeraldLIVE. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Fourteen straight as Bulls Daisies claim Women's Premier Division title". SA Rugby. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ koosventer (12 August 2024). "Relief and gratitude from Bulls Daisies trophy winning coach". Rekord. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ Sibembe, Yanga (31 March 2025). "Bulls Daisies cap off dominant season with gold, focus now on World Cup". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
External links
- Women's Premier Division - sarugby.co.za