Springbok Women cruise into SVNS semi-finals

Excitement in the second round of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025 on Friday kept everyone on the edge of their seats with a lot to play for at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town.

The men's event saw some intensely competitive matches as Canada, Germany, Japan and Portugal claimed two wins each to ensure their safe passage to the semi-finals.

In the women's tournament, there were flying starts for the hosts, South Africa, Czechia, Uganda and Colombia, who all finished top of their logs on day one with a pair of victories to secure spots for Saturday's semi-finals. Uganda beat the Round 1 winner, Kenya, in nailbiting extra-time.

Canada men's, Germany men's, South Africa women's and Colombia women's teams qualified for the semi-finals in Round 1.

The action continues from 10am on Saturday, with place play-offs and both men's and women's finals.

World Rugby Chief Competitions and Performance Officer Nigel Cass reflected on the successful start to the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025: “It’s great to be back in Cape Town. The tournament has kicked off in spectacular fashion, with fantastic rugby played in the sunshine. The quality of all the teams has been outstanding and everybody should just now be looking forward to an incredible weekend.”

The Springbok Women's Sevens were in impressive form on the opening day with a commanding 45-5 win over Samoa in their first pool game before outplaying Poland 43-0 to top Pool C and qualify for the semi-finals.

They will meet Czechia for a place in the final at 2.56pm. The other semi-final is between Kenya, last weekend’s winners and Colombia (3.18pm).

For a second consecutive weekend, the South Africans started well, looking focussed and smooth on attack. They scored three first half tries for a 21-0 lead at the break, followed by four more in the second half.

Samoa were largely outgunned by South Africa’s pace but did breach the green and gold defensive line once, when Machiko Silila Fepuleai ran strongly down the touchline to score.

Rights Mkhari opened the scoring with a lovely run down left, followed shortly by Nadine Roos, who raced through the heart of the Samoan defence to score. Zintle Mpupha got the third try before the halftime buzzer, with Roos converting all three.

The second half delivered more of the same. Roos and Mpupha added to their tally before Fepuleai got over the line to make it 33-5.

Two more tries, by Ayanda Malinga and Shiniqwa Lamprecht, followed, with Alicia Willemse kicking the conversion for her first international points.

A swarming defensive effort rattled the Poles in the opening stages of the second match, forcing the European side into handling errors. The Bok Women capitalised on this with structured play from set phases and set moves.

Roos and Maria Tshiremba scored in the opening five minutes, with both tries coming from good, flowing attacks, before Roos added her second five-pointer just before the break to hand her side a 19-0 lead.

The second half was another masterclass on attack, again with Roos instrumental at pivot. She combined nicely with Zintle Mpupha to rush the latter through a gap and a strong finish, before Tshiremba bagged a second try, which came from a South African scrum option and some solid passing found the flying winger in space.

Roos then got her hat-trick and converted for a match tally of 23 points before Malinga got her second try of the day.

Scores

South Africa 45 (21), Samoa 5 (0)

SA – Tries: Rights Mkhari, Nadine Roos (2), Zintle Mpupha (2), Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Ayanda Malinga. Conversions: Roos (4), Alicia Willemse.

Samoa – Try: Machiko Silila Fepuleai.

South Africa 43 (19), Poland 0 (0)

SA - Tries: Nadine Roos (3), Maria Tshiremba (2), Zintle Mpupha, Ayanda Malinga. Conversions: Roos (4).