Can the Springbok Women’s Sevens Bounce Back for HSBC SVNS Qualification?

The Springbok Women’s Sevens team may have fallen short in the final of the second World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger tournament, but their goal of securing a place in next season’s HSBC SVNS remains firmly within reach.

Head coach Renfred Dazel remains optimistic despite the 17-0 loss to Kenya in Cape Town on Saturday evening.

South Africa had a strong start in the tournament, winning both of their pool games on Friday before battling past Czechia in the semi-final. However, Kenya proved too strong in the final, handing the Bok Women their first loss of the tournament.

Despite the disappointment, South Africa is still second on the overall log heading into the final Challenger tournament in Krakow, Poland, on 11-12 April. Their aim is to finish in the top four and qualify for the HSBC SVNS play-offs in Los Angeles in May, where the best Challenger teams will face off against the lowest-ranked teams from the world series.

Dazel Reflects on the Tournament

“It was a poor performance in the final, and to lose to Kenya again was disappointing,” said Dazel. “We did not play well at all; we made at least six handling errors, all in attacking positions.”

Dazel also pointed to the team’s struggles in the semi-final against Czechia, where they received four yellow cards and lost key player Zintle Mpupha to suspension.

“Losing Mpupha hurt us, but despite all of that, we still improved our standings, which is a positive,” he added.

Key Takeaways and Squad Adjustments

For Dazel, the experience gained over the past two weekends is invaluable, particularly for the newer and less experienced players in the squad.

“These are all wins for me, and the group will benefit from that,” he said.

The team will see some changes heading into Poland, as four senior players will join the Springbok Women’s training camp and will not be available. However, South Africa will be boosted by the return of Simamkele Namba from injury, while Kyla de Vries, who narrowly missed out on selection for this past weekend, will also be available.

With Kenya leading the standings on 40 points, South Africa (34), Argentina (30), and Colombia (30) are all in the hunt for the final spots in the HSBC SVNS play-offs. South Africa’s Nadine Roos currently leads the tournament’s point-scoring charts with 74 points.

The Bok Women will now shift their focus to the final leg in Poland, where they aim to solidify their spot in the play-offs and take another step toward competing on the biggest stage in Sevens rugby.