Springbok Women’s Sevens Secure Second in Nairobi

Karen Scheepers
1 day ago
2 min read

The Springbok Women’s Sevens have emerged from a grueling weekend at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi with their promotion dreams firmly intact. After five matches of high-intensity rugby in the opening leg of HSBC SVNS 2, the South Africans finished second on the overall standings, trailing log-leaders Argentina by a single point.

While a shock defeat to Brazil on day one threatened to derail their campaign, a resilient Sunday performance, capped by a dramatic "golden try" victory, has placed Cecil Afrika's squad in a commanding position heading into the South American leg of the series.

Day 1: Resilience Amidst Injury

The tournament began with a mix of triumph and adversity. In the opening 14-12 victory over Spain, the Bok Women lost forward Leigh Fortuin to a fractured elbow, ending her tournament prematurely. Despite the setback, tries from Nadine Roos and Liske Lategan secured a narrow win.

However, the momentum stalled in the second match as a clinical Brazil side capitalized on South African handling errors to claim a 12-0 shutout. The team rallied in their final Saturday fixture, holding off a fierce Kenyan comeback to win 12-10 thanks to scores from Shiniqwa Lamprecht and Maria Tshiremba.

Day 2: The Tshiremba Show and Extra-Time Drama

Sunday saw a revitalized South African attack. They opened the day with a dominant 33-5 bonus-point win over China, featuring a brace from debutant Shannon-Lee Windvogel and a 97-meter solo effort from Tshiremba. This set up an unofficial "final" against an undefeated Argentina side.

In a pulsating encounter that ended 12-12 at the end of regulation time, Maria Tshiremba once again proved the difference-maker, racing away in sudden-death extra time to secure a 17-12 victory. Despite the win, Argentina's losing bonus point allowed them to maintain the top spot on the series log.

Tournament Performance & Standings

Team	Log Points
1. Argentina	20
2. South Africa	18
3. Spain	16
4. China	6

Key Individual Stats:

Top Try Scorer: Maria Tshiremba (4 Tries)
Top Points Scorer: Nadine Roos (21 Points - 1 try, 8 conversions)

Coach’s Corner: "Mission Accomplished"

Coach Cecil Afrika praised the squad's character, particularly their refusal to "lie down" during the high-stakes clash with Argentina. While lamenting the missed opportunities on day one, Afrika noted that the team adapted well to the round-robin format. "The girls really played for each other and showed how much that jersey means to them," Afrika remarked, emphasizing that being in second place keeps them firmly in contention for the top-four finish required to reach the HSBC SVNS World Championship.