South Africa’s men’s and women’s teams are embarking on a unique shared venture. Both sides are set to begin a landmark away double-header T20I series against New Zealand in Tauranga.
This tour marks a historic first. It is the first time both South African national teams will contest full away series side-by-side against the same opposition.
Wolvaardt Focuses on T20 World Cup Prep
For Proteas Women captain Laura Wolvaardt, the five-match series carries extra weight. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 is on the horizon.
Wolvaardt said that playing extra games is great, especially with the World Cup right around the corner. She added that the main focus is playing as much T20 cricket as possible.
“Five games sort of give you the chance to try a few things as well. You have enough games to tweak a few things here or there. It’s a great initiative and hopefully we can win the series,” the skipper commented.
Beyond preparation, Wolvaardt is embracing the rare experience of touring in tandem with the men’s side.
“You sort of feel like one big team over here, sharing knowledge and chatting to them. And just seeing how they go about things is cool for me as well. It doesn’t happen a lot that you sort of tour side by side but I think it’ll be very cool cricket-wise as well to watch their game after ours.”
Maharaj Highlights Growth of Women’s Game
Proteas Men’s stand-in captain Keshav Maharaj echoed Wolvaardt’s sentiment. He highlighted the growth of the women’s game and the value of sharing the stage.
“Women’s cricket has come along in leaps and bounds, and it’s wonderful for them to have the stage as well,” said Maharaj.
“They’ve played some amazing cricket and some very exciting cricket games that have gone down to the wire – It’s also exciting for us to be able to witness it live.”
Recent Encounters Fuel Rivalry
Recent meetings between the two nations add further intrigue to the series. The Proteas Women last faced the White Ferns in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 final. The men’s sides met in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. On both occasions, the Kiwis came out on top.
“It’s always been a wonderful rivalry. Good cricket played on the field, but there’s still that respect that’s between both sides,” said Maharaj.
“New Zealand are a really strong side, obviously coming off a really big high coming from India. But I think with the squad that we have, there’s a lot of energy within the environment being a lot younger. So hopefully it will be a good, strong series. And fingers crossed we come on top.”
While the tour provides exposure for several new faces in the men’s squad, Maharaj made it clear that development and results go hand-in-hand.