SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year, Nadine Roos, is among the group of 18 players invited to a Springbok Women’s Sevens training camp in Pretoria, where the squad will step-up preparations for the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens championship in Nairobi, Kenya on 15 and 16 November.

Cecil Afrika, who has been part of the coaching set-up since 2023, will travel with the team as coach in place of Renfred Dazel, who is assisting Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman in the 2025/26 HSBC SVNS.

Other notable invitees to the camp, which kicks off at the University of Pretoria’s HPC on Wednesday, include Zintle Mpupha, Byrhandrè Dolf, Ayanda Malinga, Lerato Makua and Faith Tshauke, who were teammates of Roos at the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, where the Bok Women qualified for the quarterfinals for the first time.

The group has a familiar look to it, as Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Leigh Fortuin, Simamkele Namba, Patience Mokone, Alicia Willemse and Maria Tshiremba are back having played in the team’s last outing, the HSBC SVNS Play-Off tournament held in Los Angeles in May this year.

There is also a welcome return for Liske Lategan and Shannon-Lee Windvogel, who are back after recovering from long-term injuries. The UP-Tuks duo of Thandi Fudu and Jane Mulder were also invited to the week-long camp following their tournament winning performances at the USSA Sevens, won by Tuks Women.

A squad of 12 players will depart for Kenya next Wednesday. South Africa will face Zambia, Ghana and Egypt in Pool A of the tournament, where a top two finish will be needed to continue their quest to the 2026 World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger Series.

Kenya, Tunisia, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso contest Pool B and Uganda, Madagascar, Mauritius and Ivory Coast will play in Pool C.

Springbok Women’s Sevens training squad:

Forwards: Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Leigh Fortuin, Liske Lategan, Zintle Mpupha, Asisipho Plaatjies, Faith Tshauke, Lerato Makua, Thandi Fudu.

Backs: Nadine Roos, Vianca Boer, Simamkele Namba, Maria Tshiremba, Patience Mokone, Ayanda Malinga, Byrhandrè Dolf, Shannon Windvogel, Alicia Willemse, Jane Mulder.

The inaugural Betway Women’s Club Championships (WCC) got underway at Alberton Rugby Club in Gauteng on Monday, signalling a historic day for the women’s game in South Africa.

The week-long event, which is taking place on the back of the Springbok Women’s emergence as a world force at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarterfinals, is another significant boost for women’s rugby development.

In the historic first-ever match in an official women’s national club championship tournament, Sol Plaatjie University edged out wildcards Raiders 24-17 after leading 10-5 at halftime. The groundbreaking, eight-match day finally came to a close almost 12 hours later, with Van der Stel-Evergreens edging hosts Pirates 10-5 after a long lightning-enforced delay eight minutes into the feature game.

The Betway WCC features 16 women’s club teams – one from each of the 15 provincial unions, together with wildcards Raiders – playing three days of rugby in a format similar to that of the FNB Craven Week.

The teams have been split into two divisions of eight, based on their respective provinces’ participation in the Women’s Premier & First Divisions.

The honour of scoring the first points in this pioneering tournament went to Sol Plaatjie’s flyhalf, Juanine Jacobs, who dived over for a try after six minutes.

Centre Jenna van Nel doubled the Kimberley side’s lead five minutes later with a second touchdown, before Raiders stormed back to level the scores after half an hour, thanks to tries from left wing Amanda Basheila and Khanyisile Ntai.

Sol Plaatjie hit back just before the break with their third try, courtesy of fullback Donishea Cloete, converted by Jacobs, before scrumhalf Charlize Jacobs crossed for her team’s fourth try after 52 minutes, once again converted by Jacobs.

Raiders’ scrumhalf Masego Sejamoholo scored a consolation try in injury time to cut the deficit to just seven points, but it was Sol Plaatjie who were full value for their historic win.

In the other three First Division fixtures of the day, Titans beat Welkom 34-7, Embalenhle edged the University of Limpopo 20-15, and Potch Dorp overwhelmed Kempton Park 87-0.

Kwaru made light work of Mqanduli Sharks, emerging 39-0 winners in a seven-try rout to kick off the afternoon’s four Premier League matches.

In contrast, Pretoria’s Harlequins were pushed all the way by Durban University of Technology (DUT), running out 26-19 victors in a seven-try thriller that went right down to the wire.

In the day’s seventh and penultimate match, one of the title favourites, Walker Bay, the four-time defending Boland champions, beat Collegians Valkyries 24-8 in an arm-wrestle that had everything – including a spring Highveld thunderstorm.

When Van der Stel-Evergreens and Pirates finally got the all-clear to return to the field, it was the home side who struck first through a try on the half-hour mark by flanker Sinalo Honono.

Pirates looked to have the measure of their Cape Winelands opponents, but a breakaway try from right wing Alichia Arries 10 minutes later levelled matters, leaving flyhalf Donelle Snyders to slice through for the winning score three minutes from time.

'UNTHINKABLE EVEN A YEAR AGO'

“This is what community rugby is all about – people out in their hundreds on a Monday to watch women’s club rugby. This would have been unthinkable even a year ago, and that is a measure of how far we have come in a very short space of time,” said SA Rugby CEO, Rian Oberholzer.

SA Rugby General Manager: Participation & Development, Ian Schwartz, echoed Oberholzer’s thoughts, adding that the Betway Women’s Club Championship was specifically designed to provide proper opportunities for players in their home provinces, and to reflect the true depth of development across South Africa.

“This first day was a great success and while the results are naturally important, it’s all about building a sustainable pipeline for women’s rugby,” he said. “The event is firmly aimed at elevating the domestic women’s rugby further and developing the women’s game nationally at grassroots level.”

The Betway WCC, like the Pick n Pay Gold Cup for men, excludes FNB Varsity Cup teams but this year has allowed the participation of teams from three tertiary institutions that did not participate in the Varsity Cup: DUT (Sharks), Sol Plaatje (Griquas) and the University of Limpopo.

Betway Women’s Club Championship – Day 1 Results

First Division:

Sol Plaatje 24 (10), Raiders 17 (5)

Sol Plaatjie – Tries: Juanine Jacobs, Jenna van Nel, Donishea Cloete, Charlize Jacobs. Conversions: Jacobs (2).

Raiders – Tries: Amanda Basheila, Khanyisile Ntai, Masego Sejamoholo. Conversion: Londeka Ntanzi.

Titans 34 (29), Welkom 7 (0)

Titans – Tries: Yanga Ndabeni, Ruzanne George, Mekyla Bennett, Nosiphiwo Swartz, Chloe Adams, Marlene Adams. Conversions: Odean van Dyk (2).

Welkom – Try: Mathapelo Tshabalala. Conversion: Lindiwe Masole.

Embalenhle 20 (10), University of Limpopo 15 (5)

Embalenhle – Tries: Gratitude Zulu, Londiwe Mashinini, Sibongile Morajane, Percygen Mnguni.

University of Limpopo – Tries: Mokgaetsi Montle (2), Itumeleng Mkhari.

Potch Dorp 87 (47), Kempton Park 0

Potch Dorp – Tries: Marli van Staden, Teddy Gatyana (3), Martha Yokwane, Abigail de Jager, Michelle Booysen (2), Onie Sihlobo (3), Dineo Ntlhaeng, Sihle Dladla. Conversions: De Jager (11).

Premier Division:

Mqanduli Sharks 0, Kwaru 39 (10)

Kwaru – Tries: Yandisa Nobanda, Nobukhosi Kwange, Hlomla Puzi (2), Joanne Boesak, Olwethu Kasibe, Xenia Miller. Conversions: Yandisa Nobanda (2).

Harlequins 26 (12), DUT 19 (7)

Harlequins – Tries: Nelisiwe Mnguni, Sibonelo Letsela (2), Jane Viljoen. Conversions: Klarissa van der Linden (2), Mnguni.

DUT – Tries: Khensani Mtshali, Nokwazi Mchunu, Anelisa Nondula. Conversions: Zusakhe Mayapi (2).

Walker Bay 24 (17), Collegians Valkyries 8 (3)

Walker Bay – Tries: Buhle Sonamzi, Claudine Bani, Keishia Stuurman, Ruwyda Phillips. Conversions: Maxene Valentine, Rufaro Tagarira.

Collegians – Try: Bernice Strydom. Penalty: Inge Sander.

Van der Stel Evergreens 10 (0), Pirates 5 (5)

VDS – Tries: Alichia Arries, Donelle Snyders.

Pirates – Try: Sinalo Honono.

● The fixtures for Wednesday’s second day at Alberton Rugby Club have been confirmed:

First Division:

8.30am: University of Limpopo v Welkom

9.40am: Raiders v Kempton Park

10.50am: Titans v Sol Plaatjie University

12pm: Potch Dorp v Embalenhle

Premier Division:

1.10pm: Collegians v DUT

2.20pm: Pirates v Mqanduli Sharks

3.30pm: Walker Bay v Van der Stel-Evergreens

4.40pm: Kwaru v Harlequins

Patience Mokone was hoping that 2025 would bring her some recognition on the rugby fields of South Africa, but she did not quite expect that her pace and try-scoring abilities would bag her green and gold colours in both sevens and fifteens in the space of two months.

But after representing the Springbok Women’s Sevens in tournaments in Krakow in April and Los Angeles in May, the 22-year-old Bulls Daisies wing is now setting her sights on a test debut in Madagascar next weekend, when the Springbok Women face Uganda in the first of three Rugby Africa Women’s Cup matches in Antananarivo.

Mokone’s first fifteens call-up came in February, when she was invited to a Springbok Women training camp, and after scoring more tries than any other backline player in the Women’s Premier Division this year (13), Mokone was eyeing a national call-up with many of her fellow Bulls Daisies.

That call-up did not come from Bok Women coach Swys de Bruin though, but rather from national sevens coach Renfred Dazel, and what an inspired choice it proved to be.

Mokone scored in her first match for the Bok Women’s Sevens and proudly sang the national anthem as South Africa beat Argentina in the final of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger tournament in Poland.

She then travelled to Los Angeles with the squad, where they played in the HSBC SVNS Play-off tournament at Dignity Health Sports Park.

A week after returning to Pretoria, De Bruin called and now Mokone is getting ready for a possible test debut as the South African team prepare to defend their African title.

'A HUGE OPPORTUNITY'

“Yes, it has been a good couple of months for me,” Mokone beamed as the squad went through their paces in Johannesburg, from where they will fly out to Madagascar on Wednesday.

“I was a bit surprised about the sevens call-up to be honest, but not overawed, as I knew that I was well-prepared for any eventual call-up. It was nice to play in the Green and Gold and I am proud of how we played in Krakow and even Los Angeles, although the results did not go our way.

“It certainly made me want more, so now that I am in line to possibly make my debut for the fifteens team is another huge opportunity.”

Mokone represented the Junior Springbok Women in 2022, and that experience just fostered her belief that she will make it into the senior national team: “I was drafted into the Bulls Daisies set-up in 2023 and that has laid a good foundation. I was playing and training with internationals like Zintle Mpupha and Ayanda Malinga and they helped me a lot.

“The last two seasons with the Daisies made me realise that I could play with these international players, but I was in no rush even as some of my 2022 teammates were called up into the senior team, just improving myself as a player at every opportunity.”

COLOURFUL TRADEMARK

Mokone is hard to miss on the rugby field with her colourful hair extensions becoming a trademark.

She will travel to Madagascar with bright orange braids, but the colour has no particular significance: “I love the blue extensions when I play for the Daisies and even white ones, but I also don’t mind bright colours, as it makes me feel energetic.

“For this trip, I just walked into the braid shop and orange was available, so I went for it,” she laughed.

The opportunity to potentially earn a first cap next Saturday would mean the world to her she said: “Even if I don’t play in that game, I will support those who are selected. We are very proud to represent our country and our families and will also play for each other. And that is what it is all about.”

Springbok Women fixtures (SA times, all matches at Stade Makis, Antananarivo):

7 June at 12pm: Uganda

11 June at 12pm: Kenya

15 June at 2pm: Madagascar

The Springbok Women’s Sevens’ inability to remain composed in pressure moments proved to be their biggest drawback in a season where they claimed two tournament titles and scored some impressive wins.

That is the view of the team’s head coach Renfred Dazel after they arrived back in South Africa on Tuesday evening following two long- haul flights from Los Angeles.

South Africa progressed to the playoffs from their pool in LA, but came up short against Kenya, which means they will have to take the continental route to qualify for the HSBC SVNS second division next season.

“We did have the opportunity to qualify, but soft moments cost us dearly,” said Dazel.

“Two key players were ruled out of the final match against Kenya in Los Angeles due to injury, but the red card conceded with two minutes left was just a bridge too far.

“In fact, in all three matches we lost to Kenya this year, soft moments proved the difference.”

The season started well enough, ironically with a win over Kenya in the final of their first tournament.

The Bok Women won the Rugby Africa Women's Sevens title in Ghana, placed third and second in the first two World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger Series tournaments at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town, before winning the third in Krakow, Poland.

Good wins over Ireland and Argentina at the HSBC SVNS Play-off tournament in Los Angeles placed them on the brink of qualification to the second tier of the newly-announced sevens series, but the late try conceded against Kenya in their final match cost them the game and tournament spot.

The end was not what they had hoped for, but the #BokWomen7s are not down and out and are already planning for next season - more here: https://t.co/ErO2wYgiu9 👊#RiseUp #HSBCSVNS pic.twitter.com/LjONTougRq

— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) May 7, 2025

“We took the long way around to Los Angeles and it seems we will have to do the same next season, having to qualify through regional tournaments and then a once off Challenger event,” said Dazel.

“We can do it again, I am confident of that and if we make it onto the second-tier circuit, we can build from there.

“The tournaments played this year allowed us to build some depth and we introduced players with a bright future in the game and that will help us in the next cycle.

“I would like to thank all stakeholders involved with our squad this year. It is unfortunate that we could not progress in Los Angeles, but there is still another opportunity to get to the new series and we will start planning for that already.”

New Zealand's Michaela Brake scored her 257th Sevens World Series try in a 58-7 win over Ireland in Vancouver on Friday to break former teammate Portia Woodman-Wickliffe's all-time record for the elite circuit.

Brake claimed the record with the third of five tries she scored in her 225th match and paid tribute to Woodman-Wickliffe while suggesting she might not keep it for long, given the rate at which Australian flyer Maddi Levi was scoring.

Breaking records. Setting standards 🤯

Congratulations to Michaela Brake on becoming the highest try-scorer in women's #HSBCSVNS series history#HSBCSVNSVAN pic.twitter.com/7KoRzmQp5s

— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) February 21, 2025

"You've got to give full credit to Portia, she's been the top try-scorer for her whole career and she set those standards, she put women's Sevens on the map," the 29-year-old said of her fellow Black Fern, who retired at the end of last season.

"It's an honour to be up there among her, so I'm going to hold on to it for as long as I can – until Maddi Levi surpasses me."

Levi, who is missing the Vancouver tournament because of a hand injury, scored a record 69 tries last season and now has 182 from 124 matches.

Former Proteas hockey player Kayla Swarts and DHL Western Province scrumhalf Alicia Willemse are in line to make their international rugby sevens debuts after being named in the Springbok Women's Sevens squad for the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025.

The series of two tournaments will be played at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on 1-2 and 8-9 March and Springbok Women’s Sevens head coach Renfred Dazel included Swarts and Willemse in his 12-player group for the first tournament.

Renfred Dazel has included two uncapped players amongst a core of experience for the #BokWomen7s first Challenger tournament - more here: https://t.co/ntFSE5vlBK 🙌#RiseUp pic.twitter.com/dTGbIlXu4A

— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) February 18, 2025

Swarts represented South Africa in hockey at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris before switching sports and Willemse, who has been training with the Springbok Women XVs team in recent months, will join an experienced group of players for the first tournament. The Challenger Series will be used to determine the top four teams that will try to qualify for next season's HSBC SVNS.

Mathrin Simmers, South Africa's most experienced women's sevens player, will lead the squad, which include a number of dual-code players, such as Nadine Roos, Zintle Mpupha and Ayanda Malinga.

“We sat with the Springbok Women coaching staff to discuss selection as they also have the Rugby World Cup on their radar and some players will be involved in both competitions,” said Dazel. “I am pleased with the way those discussions went as both teams will benefit from our agreements.”

Dazel said Swarts and Willemse will be valuable additions to his squad: “Kayla played for us in the Dubai Invitational tournament and has been training with us since. She is such a natural and it is hard to believe that she still played hockey at the Paris Olympics, such has been her progress.

“Alicia on the other hand, joined us this week due to some injuries we have at sweeper/flyhalf, but she is also a natural and will do well. She has good passing skills, nimble feet and understands space, all of which are requirements to be a good sevens player.”

Dazel believes the experienced core will help them in a tough format and the pressures of playing at home. Simmers will be joined by five other teammates who played in the 2023 Challenger Series in Stellenbosch, where the hosts won both events – Rights Mkhari, Mpupha, Kemisetso Baloyi, Roos and Malinga were part of that group.

Maria Tshiremba, Felicia Jacobs and Shiniqua Lamprecht played in the 2024 HSBC SVNS, while Leigh Fortuin made her debut for the team at the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens last November.

“The format is such that you must win your pool to get into the semifinals so the pressure will be on all teams from the start,” said Dazel.

“Playing at Athlone Stadium could add to the pressure, but it could also work in our favour. Either way, it remains special for our squad to compete at home in front of their home supporters and I know the team will make the most of it.”

● The top eight placed men’s and women’s teams after two weekends of competition at Athlone Stadium will progress to the third round at the Henryk Reyman's Municipal Stadium in Krakow, Poland on 11-12 April, after which the top four ranked men’s and women’s teams will qualify for the HSBC SVNS Play-off tournament in Los Angeles on 3-4 May.

Challenger pools:

Pool A: South Africa, Czechia, Hong Kong China

Pool B Argentina, Thailand, Mexico

Pool C: Belgium, Uganda, Colombia

Pool D: Poland, Kenya, Samoa

SA fixtures – Saturday, 1 March:

15h55: Hong Kong China

19h36: Czechia

Springbok Women Sevens squad for the opening tournament of the Challenger Series:

Leigh Fortuin

Zintle Mpupha

Felicia Jacobs

Maria Tshiremba

Kayla Swarts *

Nadine Roos

Mathrin Simmers (captain)

Kemisetso Baloyi

Shiniqwa Lamprecht

Ayanda Malinga

Alicia Willemse *

Rights Mkhari

Athlone Stadium in Cape Town will host the opening two rounds of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025, where the Springbok Women’s Sevens team will start their quest to regain their World Series core team status for next season.

World Rugby confirmed that the first two of three Challenger tournaments will be hosted in the Mother City on the weekends of 1-2 and 7-8 March, with 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams – all of whom have qualified via regional competitions – battling it out for HSBC SVNS spots.

The top eight placed men’s and women’s teams will progress to the third round at the Henryk Reyman's Municipal Stadium in Krakow, Poland on 11-12 April, after which the top four ranked men’s and women’s teams will qualify for the HSBC SVNS Play-off tournament in Los Angeles on 3-4 May.

The Bok Women’s Sevens are in Pool A with Czechia and Hong Kong China in the opening tournament, while Pool B features Argentina, Thailand and Mexico. Pool C sees Belgium, Uganda and Colombia go into battle, and Poland, Samoa and Kenya make up Pool D.

Play starts at 10h00 and South Africa’s pool matches on Saturday, 1 March are scheduled for 15h55 (Hong Kong China) and 19h36 (Czechia), with the playoffs to follow the next day.

The first two rounds of the Challenger will replicate the competition format used for the recent HSBC SVNS Cape Town tournament in December 2024. This sees the four pool winners progress directly to contest the semifinals, while second placed teams will play for fifth to eighth places and teams finishing third in their pools will compete for ninth to twelfth positions.

Renfred Dazel, head coach of the Springbok Women's Sevens team, welcomed the news that his team will be playing at Athlone Stadium in the opening two legs of the Challenger series.

“It is a massive boost for us to play in front of our home crowd, especially after we missed out on the HSBC SVNS Cape Town earlier in the season,” said Dazel.

“We have been working really hard to be in the best shape possible for the Challenger Series. We have seen how competitive and unpredictable this series can be when we played two years ago, so the supporters will be in for top class action. We are determined to get back to the world series, and we will deliver our best effort in Cape Town next month.”

<< VIEW POOLS AND FIXTURES >>

Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, said: “We are honoured to be chosen to host these tournaments as it not only underlines our commitment to rugby on a global scale, but also provides us with another opportunity to showcase South Africa as a highly desirable destination for big sporting events.

“Over the last few years, we’ve hosted matches in the World Rugby U20 Championship and WXV 2 at Athlone Stadium, and it’s a superb venue with all the necessary amenities to host another international event.

“The last time we hosted the Challenger, two years ago in Stellenbosch, our Springbok Women’s Sevens team were crowned champions and booked their spot on the World Series, and we would love nothing more than to see them replicate those performances in March.”

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Griffin Colby and Giana Viljoen have been included on the team of 18 Emirates Match Officials from 11 unions who make up the men’s and women’s panels for the Challenger 2025.

The Springbok Women’s Sevens team will start their quest to regain their HSBC SVNS status in Cape Town in March 2025 when the first two of World Rugby’s HSBC Sevens Challenger tournaments take place in the Mother City.

World Rugby unveiled the dates and destinations of the three tournaments where 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams from all six global regions will battle for HSBC SVNS promotion.

The Challenger series begins with back-to-back events in Cape Town on 1-2 and 7-8 March, with the top ranked eight men’s and women’s teams progressing to the third and final tournament at the Henryk Reyman's Municipal Stadium in Krakow, Poland on 11-12 April.

The four men’s and women’s teams with the most cumulative points gained across the three Challenger rounds will then qualify for the HSBC SVNS playoff in Los Angeles on 3-4 May, where they will face the bottom four ranked teams from HSBC SVNS 2025 in a high-stakes promotion and relegation tournament with four coveted World Series places up for grabs.

The Springbok Women’s Sevens qualified for HSBC SVNS 2024 during the Challenger series Stellenbosch in April 2023, but they lost their spot as core team to China earlier this year at the playoff tournament in Madrid.

VENUES TO BE ANNOUNCED 

Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, said the venues for the two tournaments in Cape Town would be announced in due course.

“The last time we hosted the Challenger series, the Springbok Women’s Sevens team did extremely well, and we are very grateful to have the opportunity to host two tournaments again next year,” said Oberholzer.

“The stakes are high for the participating teams and, as we saw the last time we hosted these tournaments, the teams don’t hold anything back as they want nothing more than to achieve core status on the world series. We’re expecting two weekends of excellent sevens rugby next year.”

All teams qualify for the Challenger via regional competitions. Ten men’s teams have already secured their places: Brazil, Canada, Chile, Georgia, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong China, Madagascar, Portugal and Uganda.

South Africa have booked their place in the tournament when they won the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens title in Ghana last month. Ten other women’s teams have already qualified for the Challenger series: Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Czechia, Hong Kong China, Kenya, Mexico, Thailand, Poland, and Uganda.

The remaining men’s and women’s teams will qualify through the Oceania Rugby Sevens tournament on 7-8 December.

MATCH OFFICIALS CONFIRMED

World Rugby also confirmed the team of Emirates Match Officials who make up the men’s and women’s panels for the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025, with South Africa’s Griffin Colby and Giana Viljoen included.

Nigel Cass, World Rugby Chief Competitions and Performance Officer, said: “We are delighted to confirm the dates and locations of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025.

“Last year’s Challenger saw intense, exciting and high-quality competition from start to finish, demonstrating the continued growth and development of international sevens across the globe.

“The promotion of Kenya and Uruguay men and China women to HSBC SVNS 2025 we saw the global pathway to reach the top level of international rugby sevens working to great effect.

“World Rugby is looking forward to working with the tournament hosts to deliver another high-quality Challenger series and we are very grateful to HSBC for their continued excellent support and partnership which is helping to grow this exciting and youthful Olympic sport further around the world.”

It was a mixed bag of emotions for Springbok Women's Sevens coach Renfred Dazel in Accra, Ghana, on Sunday after his squad bagged another Rugby Africa Women's Sevens title and by doing so, secured qualification for the World Rugby Challenger Series next year.

South Africa outplayed Kenya 19-10 in the final of the tournament and Dazel praised his troops for the effort, delivered in tough conditions at the University of Ghana Rugby Stadium.

🥇 Champions 🥇

The #BokWomen7s have conquered the #AfricaCup! 🏆

Match report: https://t.co/jr6BnmsfI0

Let’s celebrate our champions 🎉#RiseUp #RAW7s2024 pic.twitter.com/ZqSE8zBP2R

— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) November 10, 2024

“It was not easy – conditions were tough out there and although we made it look easy at times in some of the pool games, it was far from that,” said Dazel.

“Six of our team were playing in their first Africa Cup and credit to them, they adapted well. We needed to do well here to qualify for the Challenger Series next year, so it was the job done successfully.

“We have now laid the foundation for the rest of the season, going into the Challenger Series next year and then hopefully getting into the World Series play-offs.

“Our squad will change a lot as we have some players that are part of the Springbok Women Rugby World Cup campaign, but I confident that this experience here will guide the younger players in our group.”

The players in the training squad that stayed behind in Stellenbosch also had training matches against Belgium on Friday and that will help in selecting a squad that will travel to the Dubai Sevens, where they will play in the International Invitational tournament at the end of the month, without the XVs players, Dazel explained.

Mathrin Simmers, who captained the team in Ghana, said they needed a confidence boost after losing their spot in the HSBC SVNS Series for the new season.

“That was a blow, but the fact that we could come here and showed everyone that we are still the champions of Africa was good for our confidence,” said Simmers.

“It also secured our spot for the Challenger Series, so from that perspective, we achieved our goals for the weekend and that is very pleasing for the squad.”

Simmers said their effort against a very capable Kenyan side in the final was commendable: “We did ourselves no favours with the two yellow cards. Kenya is tough enough to play with full numbers and to play them with only six players at times was a tough ask, but we showed great character and endurance. Our defense when we were a player down showed the determination of this squad.”

For the experienced Simmers, a seventh Africa Cup gold medal is still something to cherish.

“Yes, it remains special to win here, and it still means the same as the first time I have won,” she said. “This tournament is a tough one and every win is a special one. We dug deep and deserved this gold medal, so I am very proud today.”

SELECTED STATS:

● The Springbok Women's Sevens scored 18 tries on the first day and 17 on day two, while once conceding only two tries in their six matches played – both in the final.

● Nadine Roos scored 37 points on the opening day and 44 on day two to finish the tournament on 81 points, the leading mark at the tournament.

● The Springbok Women's Sevens, Kenya and Uganda secured qualification for the Challenger Series.

She has achieved more than any other Springbok Women’s Sevens player, but for team captain Mathrin Simmers, the job is not yet done, and she will only relax once they have qualified for the HSBC SVNS Series again.

Simmers is the country’s most decorated female sevens player, with 21 World Series tournaments, three Rugby World Cup Sevens, three Commonwealth Games and most recent, one Olympic Games appearance. She also played in six Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens tournaments.

Yet, on Saturday at the University of Ghana Rugby Stadium in Accra, the 36-year-old will be as eager and as determined as 20-year-old Leigh Fortuin, one of two uncapped players in the squad along with Nompumelelo Mathe (24).

“Yes, I am fired up and ready to have another go at this journey towards the end goal, getting back onto the circuit,” said Simmers.

“That starts tomorrow when we face Burkina Faso and each game after that will be as important as the first one. We need to qualify for the Challenger Series again and to do so, we need to finish in the top three this weekend.”

A top-three spot in Ghana will give them another crack at 2026 HSBC SVNS qualification, via World Rugby’s Challenger Series.

“We have done that before and I know we can do that again,” she insisted. “But that is well into the future, the realities are now and we will be ready. The squad prepared well for this tournament, with tough conditions in Stellenbosch over the last six weeks sharpening us up.”

The return from XVs rugby by several experienced players will aid the cause, but Simmers, who has four test caps with the Springbok Women herself, is very excited about Fortuin and Mathe’s inclusions.

“They know how to play rugby, no doubt,” she said. “The senior players can make their debuts easier by doing their jobs well and if that happens, the two debutants will shine. They have been selected for certain skills and if they bring it alongside their energy, we will benefit as a squad.”

The pool A matchups against Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe and Tunisia will be hard work, according to the SA captain: “These squads are improving all the time, and it will be hard work to beat them, but I believe our experiences gained on the international stages we have played on this year will help us to cope. We will focus on Sunday and the knockouts only once we did the job at hand tomorrow.”

POOL FIXTURES: (SA times, all matches live on RugbypassTV)

Saturday 9 November:

12h50: Burkina Faso

15h34: Zimbabwe

18h18: Tunisia

Springbok Women’s Sevens squad for Ghana:

1. Leigh Fortuin *
2. Kemisetso Baloyi
3. Ayanda Malinga
4. Zintle Mpupha
5. Nompumelelo Mathe *
6. Felicia Jacobs
7. Maria Tshiremba
8. Shiniqwa Lamprecht
9. Nadine Roos
10. Mathrin Simmers (captain)
11. Zandile Masuku
12. Liske Lategan

* uncapped

Nompumelelo Mathe and Leigh Fortuin are in line to make their Springbok Women’s Sevens debuts next weekend after being named in the squad that will contest the Africa Women's Sevens tournament in Ghana on 9 and 10 November.

Mathe, who has played 20 tests for the Springbok Women as a loose forward, and Fortuin, who captained the Junior Springbok Women last month, will join an experienced group assembled by head coach Renfred Dazel for the event, to be played at the Rugby Stadium of the University of Ghana in Accra.

South Africa's most experienced women's sevens player, Mathrin Simmers, will again lead the team into battle, with several HSBC SVNS regulars again called upon for the trip to West Africa, where the top three teams will qualify for the World Rugby Challenger Series.

Two uncapped players have been included in the #BokWomen7s squad for their first assignment of the new season, in Ghana - more here: https://t.co/rUvN7goBXQ 💚💛#RiseUp pic.twitter.com/2cMwuH0vPV

— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) October 30, 2024

Dazel said Mathe and Fortuin made big impressions since they joined the Springbok Women's Sevens training camp for this campaign.

“Leigh has been with us before, but she was too young to be selected at the time, while Nompumelelo slotted in with ease when she arrived in camp, so I am expecting both of them to hit the ground running in Ghana,” said Dazel.

Ayanda Malinga, Zintle Mpupha, Felicia Jacobs, Maria Tshiremba and Nadine Roos rejoined the squad after representing the Springbok Women in the recent WXV 2 tournament and will link up with Kemisetso Baloyi, Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Zandile Masuku and Liske Lategan, all regulars during the 2024 season.

“The players returning from fifteens are experienced sevens campaigners, so only a few tweaks were needed for them, while the rest came back in good condition after the rest they had post the Olympic Games,” said Dazel.

“We are training well at the moment. This is a very important tournament for us and everyone is well aware of that.”

The Springbok Women's Sevens will face Burkina Faso in their opening match, before taking on Zimbabwe and Tunisia in Pool A of the tournament.

The #BokWomen7s hard at work with the big one in #GhanaRugby coming up!@RugbyAfrique#RAW7s2024 pic.twitter.com/NPwcKytjH7

— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) October 28, 2024

SPRINGBOK WOMEN'S SEVENS SQUAD FOR GHANA:

1. Leigh Fortuin *

2. Kemisetso Baloyi

3. Ayanda Malinga

4. Zintle Mpupha

5. Nompumelelo Mathe *

6. Felicia Jacobs

7. Maria Tshiremba

8. Shiniqwa Lamprecht

9. Nadine Roos

10. Mathrin Simmers (captain)

11. Zandile Masuku

12. Liske Lategan

The Springbok Women's Sevens were handed a challenging draw for the Africa Women's Sevens in Ghana, where they will face Tunisia, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso in Pool A.

The top three teams at the tournament, which will take place in Accra on 9 and 10 November, will qualify for the World Rugby Challenger Series next year.

Kenya, who contested the final with South Africa last year in Tunisia, will face Madagascar, Ghana and Mauritius in Pool B, while Uganda, Zambia, Senegal and Côte D’Ivoire will play in Pool C

South Africa, who have won all 11 previous Africa Women's Sevens events they played in, have started their preparations in defence of their title at their home base in Stellenbosch already.

 

Tunisia, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso will await the #BokWomen7s in their pool of the Africa Women's Sevens in Ghana next month - more here: https://t.co/2Y8ZBkCrrd 🌍#RiseUp pic.twitter.com/UcGwTvbqLK

— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) October 25, 2024

 

According to the team’s head coach, Renfred Dazel, they are determined to arrive in Accra totally prepared for the tournament, to be played at the Rugby Stadium at the University of Ghana. The venue, the first purpose built rugby stadium in the country, hosted the 2023 African Games.

Dazel said the early focus of their camps post the Olympic Games was on development, as new players were brought into camp in order to expand their playing base. A number of Olympians were also drafted into the Springbok Women squad for the recently held WXV 2 in Cape Town.

But now it’s all hands on deck now for the African showpiece, with the draw showing just how competitive the women's game in Africa is becoming, Dazel said.

“We have had some very close results in recent years and the standard of rugby is improving every time we travel to this tournament,” said Dazel. “With a new venue this time around as well, it is great to be part of the growth of the game on the continent.”

The Bok Women have regrouped well since their last outing – beating Fiji in their final match at the Olympic Games in Paris – and the focus is on getting everyone on the same page.

“We have some experienced players back into the fold after WXV and they have slotted in well, while at the same time we are able to expose the newer group of players to the intensity and pace of sevens rugby at international level,” said Dazel.

“This tournament is crucial for us as we start our mission to get back onto the world series via the Challenger Series and we are not taking any chances or short cuts. We will travel to Ghana as best prepared as we can be.”

Pool matches will be played on Saturday 9 November, with the knock-out matches on Sunday, 10 November. The match schedule will be announced on Monday, 4 November. South Africa will depart for Ghana on 6 November.

The pools are:

Pool A: South Africa, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso

Pool B: Kenya, Madagascar, Ghana, Mauritius

Pool C: Uganda, Zambia, Senegal, Côte D’Ivoire

The Springbok Women's Sevens squad understand very well what is at stake in Madrid this weekend and are adamant it will be a matter of fight, not flight in their quest for survival in their approach to this weekend's HSBC SVNS play-off tournament.

South Africa face Argentina, Belgium and Brazil in pool play and need to win those matches, and the resulting quarterfinal to preserve their status on the world series.

Let’s get behind the #BokWomen7s this coming weekend at the Madrid SVNS 🇿🇦

Watch all of their matches live on SuperSport 📺#RiseUp #HSBCSVNS pic.twitter.com/QxrwUrMKQy

— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) May 27, 2024

For two experienced campaigners, Eloise Webb and Libbie Janse van Rensburg, it will be all about the squad’s needs and how to get to their objective of surviving the play-offs and remain a core team in the 2025 season, rather than personal achievement or glory.

“We know what is at stake," Webb said after the squad had a warm-up match against Japan earlier on Tuesday.

“We need to finish in the top four and for that, we need to win our first four matches. There is no other way, and we are not approaching it otherwise.

“Our first game against Argentina will have to set the tone and we then face Belgium and Brazil before the quarterfinal. We are not backing away from this fight.

“We are not a team to shy away from danger and it is definitely fight before flight for us. We realise we play not only for ourselves, but also for the people back home. Young girls can now watch us play on TV and we need to inspire them to take up the game as well. To be able to do that, we need to make sure we stay on the circuit.”

Big weekend loading for the #BokWomen7s at the Madrid SVNS! 🏆#RiseUp #HSBCSVNS pic.twitter.com/lmgh0xrCCE

— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) May 28, 2024

Webb insists their approach will not be emotional: “We will have a measured approach, as we have learnt some lessons over the last season. This team really play for each other and that makes it worth the effort.

“It is such a great feeling when we bring it together from the training field to match day. One of the important lessons learnt was that you cannot look further than the next game. You play minute to minute, game for game and do not make one game bigger than the next. That will be the focus again,” added Webb.

'WE CAN DO IT AGAIN'

Janse van Rensburg said the forced injury lay-off following a groin operation almost six months ago was frustrating, but now that she is back in the squad for the first time since the opening tournament of the series in Dubai, she realises it was an uplifting experience too.

“You could see how the squad improved – it happened right in front of our eyes,” said Janse van Rensburg. “At every tournament a new aspect of play was experienced and mastered, and the team grew.

“We have a good idea what to expect this weekend. We experienced the knock-out element of this tournament in the Challenger Series last year. We responded well back then, and I know we can do that again.”

Janse van Rensburg believes those experiences will be rewarded: “The added experience of regularly playing against the top sides in the world gave us confidence that we can stay in the series. We know what is at stake and how important it is to stay here. We will fight until the end to be successful.

“This tournament is not about individuals. Yes, everyone needs to bring their particular skill set to the squad, but we will have to fight as a team to be successful, something I know this squad is capable of.”

One try was enough for the Springbok Women’s Sevens team as they finished the HSBC SVNS Singapore on a winning note and secured ninth position with their second victory of the weekend over the USA.

The 5-0 victory over the USA early on Sunday morning meant that South Africa finished the tournament at the National Stadium with three wins and two defeats from their five games, their second-best performance of the season.

Maria Tshiremba scored what turned out to be the match-winner just before the break against the USA, and the Bok Women then threw everything they had into the last seven minutes to remain ahead on the scoreboard.

Renfred Dazel (head coach) was very happy with his team’s overall performance on the weekend.

“This was the first time we’ve had three wins in a tournament, and it was good for the girls to build momentum (for the rest of the season),” said Dazel.

“Although there were some tired and sore bodies out there today, the girls pulled through.

“I’m really stoked with their performance, especially with the way in which they stood up for this team and for our system – some of them even playing out of position, like Ayanda Malinga playing at prop for the first time.”

CLOSE TO QUARTERFINALS

The Bok Women were close to reaching the quarterfinals in Singapore, but heavy defeats in their final two pool games, against France and Japan, scuppered their chances of reaching the top eight for a second time this season.

“Playing against France and Japan, it felt like it was a mental thing for the players, and we need to overcome that, because if we had lost with a bonus point against Japan, we could have made the quarterfinals,” he said.

On the first day of the tournament, the South Africans beat the USA, 14-12 – who had come into the tournament in fourth spot on the standings and on the back of a silver medal in Hong Kong a month ago. But that high was followed by disappointing defeats in their next two pool games at the hands of France and Japan.

The second day ended on a high though, with a 26-14 victory over Spain to book the rematch against the USA.

Tshiremba scored a brace of tries against the Spanish, but her five-pointer against America was probably the most important of her fledgling sevens career.

Eloise Webb, one of the senior players in the squad, shared Dazel’s sentiments: “There is a lot to work on, but there is also a lot of positives we can take out of this weekend and we’re really proud of the fight we showed in that last game.

“We need to react a bit quicker in all our games, but we’re happy with how the weekend ended. Not so much on how things went in the second and third games, but I think we showed a lot of courage to come back from that to win our last two games.

“We bought in to what we wanted to achieve and really showed some fight for one another,” added Webb.

On the injury front, Dazel said they will assess a few players when they are back in South Africa. Simamkele Namba injured a knee, Zintle Mpupha suffered a concussion and Shona-Leah Weston strained her hamstring.

Dazel’s team will travel to Spain later this month where they will play in the new promotion and relegation play-off competition at the HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Madrid, with the four bottom-placed teams on the current standings taking on China, Argentina, Belgium and Uganda for core status next season.

Their final assignment of the season will be in Paris in July, when they play in the Olympic Games for the first time.

The exposure of playing in the HSBC SVNS 2024 season has benefitted the Springbok Women's Sevens team tremendously and although it has not always shown in the results, the improvement of the team has been real and heartwarming.

That is the view of South Africa's Nadine Roos, one the standouts on the circuit and arguably the team's most influential player this season. Roos is in Singapore with her rest of the squad where the seventh of eight world series tournaments will be held this weekend.

Reflecting on the season, Roos said their growth as a squad since joining the series as a core team, will benefit them in future.

“I have no doubt that the best is yet to come,” said Roos.

“We are growing every tournament, adding something to our play and ability every time we are out there. It will come together soon. The team have grown, and individual players have grown, and it is coming together.”

Roos believes it will happen at the last tournament in Madrid at the end of May, where the Springbok Women’s Sevens will be involved in a play-off series with seven other teams to secure their status for next season.

“Without looking too far ahead, I am confident that we will do well in that tournament,” she said. “Having said that, we must use our opportunities here in Singapore to build momentum.”

The lack of executing scoring opportunities bas plagued the Bok Women Sevens this season, with Roos at times the sole try scorer at tournaments, but she feels they can improve this weekend.

South Africa will face USA, France and Japan in a tough pool with all previous encounters this season going the way of the opposition. Their only victories came against Fiji, Great Britain, Spain (twice) and Brazil so far, but they would like to add to that in the National Stadium in Singapore this weekend.

“We need to finish off better to achieve our goal of getting into the quarterfinals this weekend, and we need to be more patient on attack and have a bit of fun in doing so,” added Roos.

For Simamkele Namba, in her first season as a regular HSBC SVNS player, the improvement is real. She has scored two tries in the sixth tournaments played in the season.

“It is my first full season as a sevens player, so I am happy with my progress, especially as I have improved a lot on attack,” said the 25-year-old speedster.

“We all bring something to the team, and I am happy that my attacking play is causing problems for other teams.”

Namba, who represented the Springbok Women as an outside back at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand two years ago, said they believe they can still secure good results in the remainder of the season: “It is coming together; we can feel it. That gives everyone motivation to work even harder as things are falling in place.”

Speedster Maria Tshiremba will make a welcome return to the Springbok Women’s Sevens squad for next weekend’s HSBC SVNS tournament in Singapore, the seventh of eight in the 2024 season.

Tshiremba, who scored four tries in as many tournaments, limped off in Vancouver and missed the next two tournaments in Los Angeles and Hong Kong, but she has now fully recovered to add punch to the South African attack. She replaces Alichia Arries on the wing in one of three changes to the side that played in Hong Kong earlier in the month.

Eloise Webb, who fell ill shortly before Hong Kong and was replaced by Donelle Snyders, returns to the squad, while Felicia Jacobs will add some nippy running in only her second world series appearance.

Jacobs made her debut in Cape Town in 2022 and comes in for Zandile Masuku, who was ruled out this week due to an ankle injury sustained at training in Stellenbosch.

Springbok Women’s Sevens coach Renfred Dazel said Tshiremba will add pace to their attack, as she has scored some excellent tries during the campaign.

“Maria can finish, make no mistake,” said Dazel. “It is only her first season on the circuit and she made some mistakes, but her attacking ability is clear for all to see.

“I can recall her match winning try against Great Britain in Perth and how that victory gave the squad confidence, so we will be looking at more of the same from her.”

Masuku looked set for a second appearance after her debut in Hong Kong, but unfortunately she injured her ankle in training early in the week.

Incidentally Jacobs, who turns 26 next month and also played five test matches for the Springbok Women at scrumhalf, has just completed her rehabilitation from injury.

“I am happy for Felicia, as she missed out on the Challenger Series last year and the start of the 2024 season, but she finally gets a chance and that is good reward for her commitment in rehab,” Dazel said. “She will enjoy our attacking platforms as she is a very good runner with ball in hand.”

Dazel was happy to welcome back Webb, who plays flyhalf, for their trip to Singapore: “She is such a calm influence and it was a pity that she missed out in Hong Kong after training so well beforehand.”

South Africa will face USA, France and Japan in Pool B and although the Bok Women are yet to beat any of those opponents this season, Dazel remained upbeat.

“We had good moments and halves against all of them so far this season and will go into each match knowing that we have a fighting chance,” he said. “Our focus will be that first match though, where a good start will be huge for our confidence.”

Their first appearance in Singapore will also not deter the team as Dazel has played there in his Blitzbok days and has good advice to his players: “The humidity will be factor, but they have experience some of that in Hong Kong. Singapore will be even more humid, but we don’t need to change anything in our preparations.”

Springbok Women’s Sevens squad to Singapore:

#4 Zintle Mpupha (co-captain) – 10 tournaments, 55 points (11 tries)

#20 Kyla De Vries – 4 tournaments, 0 points

#18 Shiniqwa Lamprecht – 6 tournaments, 0 points

#3 Ayanda Malinga – 6 tournaments, 55 points (11 tries)

#12 Liske Lategan – 8 tournaments, 15 points: (3 tries)

#8 Shona-Leah Weston – 7 tournaments, 10 points (2 tries)

#13 Kemisetso Baloyi – 6 tournaments, 0 points

#6 Felicia Jacobs – 1 tournament, 0 points

#10 Mathrin Simmers (co-captain) – 19 tournaments, 35 points (7 tries)

#7 Eloise Webb – 7 tournaments, 7 points (1 try, 1 conversion)

#14 Simamkele Namba – 7 tournaments, 10 points (2 tries)

#9 Nadine Roos – 11 tournaments, 187 points (25 tries, 31 conversions)

#16 Maria Tshiremba – 4 tournaments, 20 points (4 tries)

The Springbok Women's Sevens squad have no illusions about the steep hill that awaits them at Hong Kong Stadium this weekend, but for the team’s head coach Renfred Dazel, that is exactly what they want.

Dazel and his squad arrived in Hong Kong for the sixth tournament of the 2024 HSBC SVNS season in 10th place on the overall standings, still outside the top eight they are targeting by the end of the series.

“That is not where we wanted to be coming into Hong Kong, but after a sixth-place finish in Los Angeles last time out, we certainly got a boost of confidence and self-belief about our objectives for the season,” said Dazel.

“Another good performance in Hong Kong and then in Singapore (next month) will make things very interesting for the top eight, who will all automatically qualify for next season’s series.”

The South Africans have a tough opening day on Friday at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, with Ireland – winners in Perth in January – and Fiji awaiting, followed by Australia on Saturday to test their resolve even further.

"That is tough, but we are getting better and better as we get used to the tempo and intensity of the series,” said Dazel.

“Ireland will be a tough one up first, as they have shown in Perth, they can go all the way, while Hong Kong is like paradise for Fiji, due to the similar weather conditions.

“We have prepared the team well and we also selected more forwards this time, going for a seven/six split, because I believe the humidity will take its toll on the players.

“Some of our players have played here before, so it will help as well. The hit-out we had against Spain was also great, as the players could get a real feel of the humidity they will encounter during the tournament.”

Dazel said the confidence in the squad is well placed: “We have showed improvement all along and that the hard work back home was justified.

“The players are starting to feel that they belong here and as we have shown, we can take any team down to the wire. There is always room for improvement, but we enter the tournament in good shape and mind and are keen to give it a go.”

The squad had a late setback on Wednesday when Eloise Webb fell ill, with Donelle Snyders called up as cover. She will join the squad in Hong Kong on Friday.

Snyders, who turns 24 on Monday, made her HSBC SVNS debut in Toulouse in 2022 and represented South Africa in the Rugby Africa Women's Sevens tournaments in Tunisia. She also played in two tests and two tour matches for the Springbok Women in 2021.

Springbok Women's Sevens’ pool schedule (SA times, all matches on SuperSport):

Friday 5 April

06h02: Ireland (6th on log)

09h12: Fiji (7th on log)

Saturday 6 April

05h25: Australia (1^st on log)

 

© SA Rugby

They are starting to find the flow of the HSBC SVNS to their liking and as the self-belief grows with improved performances, the Springbok Women's Sevens team await the iconic Hong Kong tournament, the sixth of the 2024 season, with much anticipation, according to Eloise Webb, one of the experienced core of players that played at the same event in 2018.

Webb said the previous visit – where they lost to China in the final of the qualifying tournament and missed out on core status – created mixed memories, but they also learned many lessons on that trip.

“It was great to play in those qualifying tournaments, as opportunities were few and far between in those days,” said Webb from Hong Kong on Tuesday.

“Back then it was bad news for us losing the final, but here we are, back as a core team and playing for a place in the top eight on the standings. What a great feeling that is.”

Webb said the steady improvement by the team is due to self-belief and the excellent input from their coaches, Renfred Dazel and Cecil Afrika: “We are finding our feet and this shows in our results against the top sides. We are starting to believe that we can beat them.”

That attitude will work well against Ireland in their opening match on Friday, believes Webb.

“We are focusing on that game only,” she said. “We have a plan and prepared well for that. We believe we can beat them and that will be the only focus in our lead-up to kick-off. Once that job is done, we will focus on the next one.”

The #BokWomen7s hit the ground running in Hong Kong, where Eloise Webb says they are determined to build on their recent performances - more here: https://t.co/A1AA4o6xj3 👍 #RiseUp pic.twitter.com/t3YpHvAcps

— SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) April 2, 2024

The team trained against Spain on Tuesday and Webb said it was a valuable exercise: “The humidity and weather are quite different and something you need to get used to. That is why the training session against Spain was good for us, we got to feel the humidity and play a little bit as well, so it was a good day for the squad. It is going to help us a lot going into the tournament.”

'HIGHLIGHT OF MY CAREER'

While the kaleidoscope of sounds, smells and colours of Hong Kong is not new to Webb, the same does not apply for Alichia Arries, who is on her first trip to the Far East.

The speedster made her debut in Toulouse in 2022 and played in the last two events in Canada and the USA, and she is keen to keep producing for the squad and adding to her tournament tally.

In between those performances, she also became a mother and this trip is another where Arries will play with a specific purpose.

“It is tough leaving your daughter behind to go and compete overseas, but ultimately, this is for her benefit too,” she said.

“My rugby provides for us and that is a benefit to her life. I had to accept and understand that and once I did, I could focus on this job."

Executing her job in an iconic world city is a plus, Arries added with a smile: “You hear about Hong Kong from the first time you start to play sevens, everyone talks about it and being here now, playing for my country, is a highlight of my career so far.

“It will even be better if we do well, something I intend to help happen. I am grateful to be given this opportunity again, after the last two in North America, and I want to justify my selection with a meaningful contribution.

“We are determined to finish in the top eight and that is our mission here as well. We want to stay on the circuit and for that, a good performance here in making at least the quarterfinals, like we did in Los Angeles, is not negotiable,” she added.

South Africa will play Ireland at 6:02am (SA time) and Fiji at 9:12am in their first two Pool B matches on Friday.

The experienced Liske Lategan has been called up by Springbok Women's Sevens coach Renfred Dazel to replace the injured Maria Tshiremba in Los Angeles this weekend, the fifth tournament of 2024 HSBC SVNS.

Lategan was part of the squad in Dubai, Cape Town and Perth and on stand-by for the North American leg of the series.

Tshiremba injured her ankle in the team's last match against Great Britain in Vancouver on Sunday and has been ruled out of the LA tournament.

The Bok Women will face New Zealand, crowned champions in Canada, in their opening match at Dignity Health Sports Park in the early hours on Saturday morning (SA time) and will face Fiji later in the day. They will also have a third consecutive outing against Brazil in their final pool match on Sunday.

South Africa faced New Zealand in Dubai and Vancouver, with the Kiwi side winning 19-14 and 35-5 respectively. The Bok Women have only faced Fiji once so far, also in Dubai, losing 21-17.

Their clashes against Brazil were also close encounters. They lost 7-0 in Perth and 17-12 in Vancouver.

The experienced Liske Lategan has been called up by Springbok Women's Sevens coach Renfred Dazel to replace the injured Maria Tshiremba in Los Angeles this weekend, the fifth tournament of 2024 HSBC SVNS.

SPRINGBOK WOMEN'S SEVENS POOL SCHEDULE (SA TIMES):

Saturday 2 March

03h36: New Zealand

22h26: Fiji

Sunday 3 March

03h02: Brazil

Springbok Women's Sevens head coach Renfred Dazel praised the effort of Nadine Roos after the flyhalf achieved the unlikely feat of scoring all their points at the HSBC SVNS Vancouver.

Roos managed to score a try in all five matches they played (including a brace against Brazil) and kicked two conversions as well for a total tournament tally of 34 points. She was also among the team's leading tacklers over all three days.

“Nadine is a true professional and her value to our team is immense,” said Dazel.

“Her personality is such that she wants to be a winner and always gives her best, which for someone with her talent, is quite a lot. She also fulfils a strong leadership role in the team and that pushes the standard for other, younger players in the squad.

“She really wants to compete against the best in the world and playing in the world series affords her that opportunity, so for us playing against the top sides is where she wants to be. It is great to have such a world class player in your team.”

Mathrin Simmers, one of the team’s co-captains, shared Dazel’s sentiments on Roos after a tough weekend in Canada.

“The results did not go our way, but Nadine had a massive tournament,” said Simmers. “She is an exceptional and clever rugby player, and we are lucky to have her as she always gives that effort in training as well. To add to that, she is a very nice person too.”

The injury toll also hit the team hard, and they started the last match against Great Britain with only nine fit players.

“That was tough, especially after two days of competition against the best teams in the world,” said Dazel.

“The injuries forced us to play some players out of their regular positions, which was a steep curve. They have trained there, but suddenly they must execute in a new position against a top-class team like Great Britain.

“We will have to follow a conservative route in bringing everyone back to fitness before next weekend. We will probably have one high intensity session and the rest will be all about detail.”

Following their 12th-place finish in Vancouver and the good performance by Spain in Canada, the Bok Women dropped to last on the series log.

Teams that finish outside the top eight will have to qualify for next season’s series again. The current bottom four are Brazil (20 log points), Spain (12), Japan (12) and South Africa (8).

South Africa have drawn Brazil again in Pool A at the HSBC SVNS Los Angeles next weekend, and will also face New Zealand and Fiji.