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• Reggae Girlz confirm friendly internationals for October and November FIFA windows

  The Jamaica Football Federation have confirmed two friendly internationals for the Reggae Girlz as they continue their preparation for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers which kicks off in 2025.

  The Reggae Girlz will be playing a friendly international against World Number 10 France on Friday October 25, 2024 at the Stade Auguste-Bonal (home of FC Sochaux-Montbeliard) which is located in Eastern France.

  Kick-off is slated for 9:05 pm local time and 2:05pm Jamaica time. France were quarter-finalists in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

  The Reggae Girlz have fond memories with France as Jamaica’s first FIFA Women’s World Cup Appearance in 2019 came in France and Jamaica’s first ever point at a FIFA Women’s World Cup came against the French in the 2023 tournament in Australia in a 0-0 draw.

  The 42nd ranked Reggae Girlz will also face South Africa (who are ranked 50th in the World) on November 29 and December 2 at home.

  This will be the first time both teams are facing each other since April 2019 in Durban when both teams played out a 1-1 draw.

  Both South Africa and Jamaica made their debut in the senior Women’s World Cup in 2019 in France and in 2023 both teams advanced to the Round of 16 of the World Cup.

  Details will follow in subsequent releases in relation to kick off times and venues of these two matches.

  President of the Jamaica Football Federation Michael Ricketts welcomes these games for the Reggae Girlz.

  “We want to give our Reggae Girlz the best opportunity to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and we feel these upcoming friendly internationals to end 2024 are beneficial to the coaching staff and players to help them prepare for the World Cup Qualifiers.”

  World Cup Qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off in CONCACAF in 2025.

  CONCACAF will have 4 spots for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup which will be hosted in Brazil and two other teams from CONCACAF will qualify for the Intercontinental playoffs.

• The Rugby Championship: Springboks target trophy in Santiago

  Not since 2019 have South Africa held the Rugby Championship title, but Saturday could be the day as they head to Argentina knowing victory will seal their fifth crown.

  Rassie Erasmus' Springboks have been perfect in the competition thus far, making it four wins from four games with their 18-12 victory over New Zealand two weeks ago.

  Standing in their way, though, are a Pumas side that have enjoyed a terrific campaign, handing Australia the heaviest defeat in their storied Test history last time out.

  The Wallabies will be desperate to respond in matchweek five's other contest, and a victory over the All Blacks would help them off the bottom of the standings after a difficult campaign.

  Ahead of the penultimate round of fixtures, we dive into the best Opta facts and figures to preview both games. 

  AUSTRALIA V NEW ZEALAND

  Australia were utterly humiliated by Argentina last time out, the game running away from them in the second half as they succumbed to a record-breaking 67-27 defeat, having earlier led by 17 points.

  Joe Schmidt's team are up against it as they bid to bounce back this weekend. The Wallabies have only won one of their last 12 Tests against New Zealand, drawing one and losing 10.

  The All Blacks have won each of the last seven meetings between the teams by an average margin of 17.4 points per game. The last time they enjoyed a longer winning run against their neighbours was a 10-match span between August 2008 and September 2010.

  They also boast a tremendous record in Sydney, where this week's contest takes place. New Zealand have only lost one of their last 10 Tests against Australia in the city, winning the last four while averaging 44.3 points per game. 

  Australia have themselves, however, won their last two Tests in Sydney, as many victories as they managed in their 15 games in the city prior to that span (two wins, one draw, 12 defeats). 

  And New Zealand have not exactly been faultless on their travels lately, losing three of their last four Tests on foreign soil, including their last two – both in South Africa in this year's Rugby Championship.

  If the All Blacks are to halt their miserable run on the road, their ability to create turnovers could be key. 

  Their 23 turnovers won in the 2024 Rugby Championship are more than any other team, while their four tries scored from turnovers won are second only to Argentina's five.

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Australia – Marika Koroibete

  Koroibete has made four line breaks in this year's Rugby Championship tournament, the joint-most of any player this campaign (also Beauden Barrett, with four for New Zealand).

  He has recorded at least one in each of his three games in the tournament, after making only two line breaks across his six Test matches before this year's competition began.

  New Zealand – Damian McKenzie

  McKenzie has made 10 break assists in the Rugby Championship this year, at least four more than any other player in the tournament. 

  In addition, he has been directly involved in a try on each of his last three starting appearances in Tests against Australia (one try, two try assists) – will he haunt the Wallabies again here? 

  ARGENTINA V SOUTH AFRICA 

  South Africa have dominated from the off in this year's edition of the Rugby Championship, scoring 112 points but, most impressively, allowing their opponents just 58 through their four outings to date.

  Another victory on Saturday would take them second in the outright charts for most Tri-Nations/Rugby Championship titles, ahead of Australia but behind New Zealand (20).

  It would also bring up their outright longest winning run in the history of the Rugby Championship, at six games. History is on their side in Santiago, with the Springboks having won their last eight Tests against Argentina by an average margin of 15.4 points per game. 

  They were given a scare when the teams last met in August 2023, though, trailing 10-3 at half-time before rallying to secure a 24-13 victory.

  Los Pumas may need something incredible to overhaul South Africa in the standings from here, but they will be on a real high following their thumping win over Australia.

  Of the last six occasions where Argentina have scored 50 or more points in a Test, they have followed up with a victory four times, including in their last two such matches.

  Felipe Contepomi's team have scored a half-century of points twice in 2024, last doing so on three occasions back in 2015.

  They will not expect a repeat against South Africa's fearsome defence, but they could trouble the visitors with their physicality. 

  Los Pumas have scored three tries when starting their possession from a scrum in this year's Rugby Championship, as many as all the other teams combined (South Africa two, New Zealand one). 

  South Africa, meanwhile, have made a habit of praying on their opponent's mistakes, making 11 kicks in play that resulted in an opposition error, more than twice as many as Argentina, who are second by that metric with five.

  The Springboks have also retained possession from 26 in-play kicks, at least 15 more than any other team in the competition, with Argentina and New Zealand logging 11 apiece and Australia recording eight.

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Argentina – Tomas Albornoz 

  Albornoz has gained 98.4 metres per 80 minutes from his 152 minutes played in the Rugby Championship this year – the most of any player in the campaign.

  South Africa – Ruan Nortje 

  Nortje (26 – including two steals) and team-mate Eben Etzebeth (21, one steal) have won more lineouts (including steals) than any other players in the Rugby Championship this year. 

• Wallabies will get things right before Lions tour, promises Rugby Australia chief

  Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh is confident the Wallabies will be ready to compete with the British and Irish Lions next year, despite suffering the heaviest defeat in their Test history last time out.

  Australia were crushed 67-27 by Argentina in the Rugby Championship last time out, their third defeat in four games in this year's tournament.

  They were also dumped out of last year's Rugby World Cup in the pool stage following losses to Fiji and Wales, and they are down to ninth in the World Rugby Rankings.

  The British and Irish Lions will face Australia in three Tests when they tour down under between June and August next year, with many fearing Joe Schmidt's team will be blown away.

  Waugh, however, says there is plenty of time for the Wallabies to get things right before then, telling the Sydney Morning Herald: "You can see the progress is there.

  "It is not nearly where we need it to be, but if we keep progressing at the speed with which we have moved things in the last six months, then there is plenty of time.

   

  "It is a team that is, and I hate using the word 're-building', but it is a team that is re-setting, and it takes experience in big moments to get better. 

  "Obviously, the enormity of the scoreline in that second half was disappointing.

  "But there is context that is important... we are not the most experienced team in world rugby, and we are building that experience."

  Australia conclude their Rugby Championship campaign with two fixtures against New Zealand before the end of September, then face England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in their Autumn International Tests in November.