King: 'We're history makers now' as Ireland clinch Test series in Cape Town
On 31 October 2026, Ireland sealed a Test series win on South African soil at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town during the WXV Global Series, with captain Erin King declaring her side were "history makers" after the final whistle.
"We spoke about being the first Irish team to come to South Africa and win a Test series and we've done it, so I'd say we're history makers now!" said King.
Beibhinn Parsons scored a hat-trick. Aoife Dalton added two tries and King opened the scoring as Ireland recorded a 38-17 victory over the Springboks.
Having also won last week's meeting 40-27, Scott Bemand's side became the first Irish team to secure back-to-back wins in South Africa.
Ireland trailed early in the match and were behind again with around 20 minutes remaining as South Africa sought to avenge the previous defeat; the visitors then produced a run of 24 unanswered points to take control.
"We knew on pitch there was a job to do and we stuck to that and I think we kept building throughout the whole Global Series and we really showed today what we're capable of, especially when the pressure is on," King said after the game.
King reflected on the tour environment and her pride in the squad: "We spoke about how special it is to get the opportunity to go on tour to such a beautiful place and how rare it is," said King. "You don't get many opportunities to do it, so we had a really good time on pitch and off pitch."
"The South Africans really brought it to us and we just had to stick to our game plan and stick to our processes and I'm unbelievably proud of the girls," added King, who led Ireland to seven wins from 10 in her first year as captain.
"It was really tough out there, it was a bit level at times, we weren't sure. They just stuck to their guns, we had each other's backs and we had an unbelievable time. South Africa is a beautiful place and we've made some unforgettable memories."
Ireland completed the WXV Global Series with three wins from four matches.