Bok Women's Sevens Impress with Unbeaten Start in Dubai
- Karen Scheepers
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
The Springbok Women's Sevens ‘A’ side delivered a strong and unbeaten performance across the first two days of the International Invitational tournament at the Emirates Dubai 7's, maintaining a perfect record through the pool stages to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
Dubai Debut Success
The South Africans began the day with a narrow but determined 12-10 win over the LV Hammerheads. Despite a sluggish start, which included an early yellow card for Leigh Fortuin and conceding the first try, the team rallied. A try by Vianca Boer leveled the score at 5-5 just before the break. The momentum shifted in the second half when Shannon-Lee Windvogel scored a well-worked try, converted by Byrhandré Dolf, securing the win despite a late unconverted effort from their opponents.
The team delivered a much more fluent performance in their second fixture, dismantling Sweden with a dominant 20-0 victory. The defence showed improved synergy, and the attack, particularly through Windvogel and wing Patience Mokone, was clinical. The South Africans led 10-0 at halftime following tries from Windvogel and Mokone. The duo repeated their efforts in the second half, with Windvogel demonstrating her speed with a remarkable 60-meter sprint for her second try.
The squad is set to face Poland and Ireland Invitational on Saturday as they look to maintain their perfect record and advance in the tournament
Day Two Triumph: Securing the Semi-Final Spot
Building on their successful opening day, the South Africans continued their impressive form on Saturday. They first defeated Poland with a score of 19-12 before drawing 17-17 against a tough Ireland Invitational side, ensuring they finished the pool stages undefeated.
The match against Poland started brightly, with captain Shiniqwa Lamprecht scoring a converted try early on for a 7-0 lead. Just before halftime, Patience Mokone showcased her speed and power, extending the lead to 12-0. Although Poland fought back early in the second half, cutting the deficit, Byrhandré Dolf provided a moment of brilliance. From the restart, Dolf stepped through defenders and sprinted 80 meters to score under the posts, converting her own try to make it 19-7. A late, unconverted try from Poland was not enough to prevent the South Africans from claiming a 19-12 victory.
The subsequent fixture against Ireland Invitational proved a sterner test. The Irish side came out firing, putting the Springbok Women's Sevens ‘A’ under significant pressure and leaking three tries before the break to trail 0-17. The second half, however, saw a massive surge in urgency and effort from the South Africans.
They clawed their way back with three well-executed tries from Vianca Boer, Shannon-Lee Windvogel, and Shiniqwa Lamprecht, with Dolf converting one, to seal an admirable 17-17 draw.
SA Scorers vs. Poland: Tries by Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Patience Mokone, Byrhandré Dolf. One conversion by Dolf.
SA Scorers vs. Ireland Invitational: Tries by Vianca Boer, Shannon-Lee Windvogel, Shiniqwa Lamprecht. One conversion by Dolf.
Day Three: The Semi-Final Challenge
The team's unbeaten run meant they qualified for the semi-finals, where they faced Brazil at 13h00 (SA time) on Sunday. The other semi-final saw Australia 'A' clash with Ireland Invitational.
In the semi-final encounter against Brazil, the South Africans faced a highly experienced side. They were forced to defend intensely for the majority of the first half. A critical moment occurred when Shannon-Lee Windvogel was yellow-carded for not retreating 10 meters from a quick tap penalty. Brazil capitalized immediately on the extra player, scoring and converting a try just before halftime to take a 7-0 lead.
The second half saw a determined effort from the South Africans. They played strong rugby, with Windvogel making up for her earlier transgression by scoring from a lineout move with four minutes remaining. Crucially, the conversion attempt from the sideline was missed, leaving the team two points short at 5-7. The Bok Women’s Sevens ‘A’ piled on the pressure until the final seconds. With no time left, a kick ahead by Byrhandré Dolf forced a scramble, but Brazil managed to dot down, bringing the tough contest to an end.
Coach's Assessment and Future Focus
Although the Springbok Women's Sevens ‘A’ side missed out on silverware, with Australia 'A' eventually winning the tournament, coach Cecil Afrika expressed great satisfaction with the overall performance and growth shown by his squad.
Afrika noted that while the team started slowly on day one, the players’ response to the challenge was overwhelmingly positive. "The improvement from the first game to the next was great to see and the growth over the weekend was great," Afrika commented. The primary goal of the tour was to give players with limited international experience crucial game time, a goal which was successfully met.
Afrika was particularly pleased with the team's ability to handle the intensity of the competition. The players displayed great maturity, even managing to adapt after losing their most experienced squad member, Liske Lategan, to illness for the final two days. The experience, including making mistakes under pressure, was considered vital for their long-term development.
The squad is scheduled to return to Stellenbosch on Monday afternoon, with training resuming on Tuesday. They will then have the valuable opportunity to train alongside Canada Women on Wednesday, further aiding their technical and tactical development.
Final Whistle
The Springbok Women's Sevens ‘A’ side concludes their Dubai campaign with valuable lessons learned and significant experience gained at the international level. Their unbeaten run through the pool stages and their competitive semi-final showing against a seasoned side like Brazil confirm the positive trajectory and immense potential within this developing squad. The tour proved a success in achieving its objective of fostering growth and maturity ahead of future tournaments.
All image credits: SA Women's Rugby
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