Getting it right five times out of six was a good reflection of the standards the Springbok Sevens set for themselves in 2026 but the most valuable lesson was to make sure you start from zero every time. With that in mind, the Blitzboks will tackle the Cathay/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong tournament this weekend with the baseline of setting their own standards and playing accordingly. That is the view of Philip Snyman, who made it all happen for the Blitzboks in recent seasons, as the

The Springbok Sevens squad achieved one of their pre-season objectives by winning the HSBC SVNS Series but according to Blitzbok captain Impi Visser, they now need to up the ante even more, as they have other targets to hunt down as well. Visser, who played in his 50th world series tournament in the USA, said their mindset for Friday's HSBC SVNS World Championship opener at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Sports Park will be centred around their search for the perfect game, something he

Half a century since the tournament's inception in 1976, Hong Kong remains the heartbeat of international sevens rugby. This year's edition marks not only a golden anniversary but the start of a three-tournament World Championship race that will crown the sport's ultimate champions in 2026. The historic tournament has transitioned from its original home at Hong Kong Stadium to the state-of-the-art Kai Tak Stadium, ushering in a new chapter for sevens in Hong Kong while honour

Zain Davids has seen it all during his Sevens career as a Blitzbok. He has stood on podiums around the world, lifted a handful of trophies and received bronze, silver and gold medals in various competitions. And while none of those achievements have happened during his five previous trips to Hong Kong, the 28-year-old, who will be playing in his 58th HSBC SVNS tournament, said his focus remains on living in the moment every time he takes the field, which is exactly what he in

David Brits is keen to see if the hype around the Cathay Pacific/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong as being the best in the world, is true as in his opinion, nothing beats the South African leg of the world series, but he is going into the week with an open mind, the Blitzbok forward said with a huge smile on Monday. The decorated 28-year-old is on his first visit to Hong Kong and he plans to make the best of this opportunity, with the long-anticipated tournament victory also on “to do lis

It might be his first official appearance on the world stage in the 2026 season but for Springbok Sevens speedster Quewin Nortje, their Stellenbosch training fields are battle grounds of their own and he will be ready come the Cathay Pacific/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong next weekend. The Blitzboks face Uruguay, Spain and Argentina in Pool A of the first of three HSBC SVNS World Championship events, to be held at Kai Tak Sports Park. “The competitive excellence we are striving for is n

Quewin Nortje will make a first appearance for the Springbok Sevens team in the 2026 season next weekend after being named in the squad to travel east to Hong Kong for the first of the three HSBC SVNS World Championship tournaments. The 23-year-old flyer had a frustrating time with injuries this season and missed all six regular stops of the HSBC SVNS Series but is now fit and ready and will be an important cog in the Blitzboks attack at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong

Expect the Springbok Women’s Sevens to play with an abundance of flair and freedom when the final HSBC SVNS 2 tournament kicks off at Estadio Nicolau Alayon in Sao Paulo on Saturday. And big smiles on their faces in the third and final event of the series, as they have already guaranteed a ticket to the big dance, the three-tournament HSBC World Rugby Championship. The also enter this weekend’s action without any travel dramas, having settled in Sao Paulo on Monday – a far cr

The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the inaugural HSBC SVNS 2 Series as the final leg arrives in Sao Paulo this weekend, with the race for World Championship qualification reaching its climax. Taking place on Saturday and Sunday at the Estadio Nicolau Alayon, the Brazilian stop marks the third and decisive round of the competition, following action-packed tournaments in Nairobi and Montevideo. With just one round remaining, everything is still to play for as teams

Having qualified for the HSBC SVNS World Championship series with one tournament left to play was a huge relief to the Springbok Women’s Sevens squad but according to Maria Tshiremba, they are not done and still want to win this weekend when the final HSBC SVNS 2 tournament takes place in Estadio Nicolau Alayon in Sao Paulo. Tshiremba, who has scored 11 tries in the three qualifying events prior to the Brazil finale, in Dubai (HSBC SVNS 3), Nairobi and Montevideo, said the Wo

The Springbok Women's Sevens qualified for the HSBC SVNS World Championship by finishing in second place of HSBC SVNS 2 in Montevideo on Sunday, confirming a top four finish in the overall series with a tournament left to play, in Brazil next weekend. With the top four sides gaining entry into the three tournament World Championship, the Bok Women’s second placing in Uruguay, like they did in Kenya a month ago, means they will finish in the top four alongside Argentina, who d

The HSBC SVNS 2 Series swings back into action this weekend in the Uruguayan capital Montevideo for the first of two crucial back-to-back weekends in South America to decide which sides will head to the HSBC SVNS World Championship Series. Following their heroics in February’s opening round of the HSBC SVNS 2 Series in Nairobi, Argentina’s women and Germany’s men lead the way in the race to qualify for the competitions in Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux in April, May and J

It started with a social touch rugby event in 2023, followed by an invite to try sevens with a club team in Hermanus, where amongst others, the Springbok Women’s Sevens also played in an invitational tournament and that resulted in a brief call-up to train with them in Stellenbosch. In a blink, Maceala Samboya was snapped up by the Sanlam Boland Dames and some impressive performances later, she was named in the Springbok Women’s team, making her Test debut aged 23 in Hermanus

Maceala Samboya and Shanidiné Bezuidenhout are in line to make their Springbok Women’s Sevens debuts later this month when the final two HSBC SVNS 2 tournaments take place in Uruguay and Brazil after SA coach Cecil Afrika confirmed a group of 14 players to travel to South America on Sunday. The tournaments will be played in Montevideo (21-22 March) and São Paulo (28-29 March). Afrika also recalled the experienced Catha Jacobs, who made her debut in 2019, to the squad, which w

The Springbok Women's Sevens team had a mixed bag of results in Nairobi on Saturday, winning two of their three HSBC SVNS 2 matches at Nyayo National Stadium. An opening 14-12 win over Spain was followed by a 12-0 defeat to Brazil, before they finished the day with a 12-10 win over Kenya, resulting in South Africa finishing the day second on the log behind Argentina, who will be one of their two opponents on Sunday, with China being the other. The tournament did not start wel

Rested and ready to go again after their heroics in Dubai last month, HSBC SVNS 3 qualifiers South Africa, Canada, Argentina and Belgium join eight established sevens nations in Kenyan capital Nairobi this weekend at the start of a six-week, three-tournament continent and ocean-crossing quest to reach the HSBC SVNS Championship. South Africa, Spain and Argentina’s women are bidding to join their male counterparts later this year, while Canada and USA’s men are aiming to follo

The Springbok Women’s Sevens have a real belief and desire to reclaim their seat at the main table of HSBC SVNS and that commitment will be on display at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on Saturday and Sunday. That is the view of Liske Lategan, one of the stalwarts who has experienced all the ups and downs the team had gone through since her debut in 2019, when the world series combined the men and women’s circuit for the first time. On debut, at DHL Stadium in Cape Town, Lategan sc

Shannon-Lee Windvogel is in line to make her international debut for the Springbok Women’s Sevens this weekend after the former SWD Eagirls speedster was named in the South African squad for HSBC SVNS 2 in Nairobi but for the rest, Cecil Afrika has retained the tried and tested core of players that will depart for Kenya on Tuesday evening. Ten players were part of the victorious squad last month in Dubai, where South Africa’s victory in HSBC SVNS 3 saw them progress to the ne

The Springbok Women's Sevens were crowned champions of the inaugural HSBC SVNS 3 tournament in Dubai on Sunday after they beat Argentina by 12-5 in a tightly contested final. The victory also underlined their undefeated status at the Sevens Stadium, where the South Africans won all five their matches this weekend. Victory in their semi-final over Poland earlier on Sunday also meant the Bok Women qualified for the HSBC SVNS 2 series, which will be played in Nairobi (14-15 Febr

The Springbok Women’s Sevens are one victory away from their HSBC SVNS 3 objective at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai after winning all three their Pool A matches on Saturday in a commanding display of attacking rugby. By doing so, they qualified for the tournament semi-finals to be played on Sunday and they will face Poland at 9.28am (SA time), with a win over the Europeans securing not only a place in the finals but qualification for the HSBS SVNS 2 series to be played in the n