Latest news with #HSBCSVNSPlay-off
The Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Patience Mokone set to shine in Springbok debut at Rugby Africa Women's Cup
Patience Mokone of the Bulls Daisies will be hoping to make her Test debut for South Africa in the Rugby Africa Women's Cup in Madagascar. The odds on Springbok winger Patience Mokone enjoying another try-scoring international debut are pretty high for the flyer who can't seem to keep away from the opposition tryline, no matter the format. She did it on her Springbok Women's Sevens debut as South Africa beat Argentina in the final of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger tournament in Poland. She also featured in the play-off tournament in Los Angeles that ended in heartbreak for SA in the HSBC SVNS Play-off tournament. Now, the 22-year-old Bulls Daisies wing has the chance to announce herself to the Test arena as part of the Springbok squad that will defend their Rugby Africa Women's Cup title in Madagascar. The Springbok Women face Uganda in the first of three Rugby Africa Women's Cup matches in Antananarivo on Saturday next week. Kenya and the hosts are the other teams competing. Mokone, the leading try-scorer in the Women's Premier Division this year, with 13 tries for the Daises, is blessed with blistering pace, offload ability, a wicked sidestep, strength, and reads the game well. She is a nightmare for any defender, as South Africa's continental rivals could soon discover should coach Swys de Bruin choose to unleash her in Madagascar. 'Yes, it has been a good couple of months for me,' Mokone said, beaming, 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.'
IOL News
31-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Patience Mokone set to shine in Springbok debut at Rugby Africa Women's Cup
Patience Mokone of the Bulls Daisies will be hoping to make her Test debut for South Africa in the Rugby Africa Women's Cup in Madagascar. The odds on Springbok winger Patience Mokone enjoying another try-scoring international debut are pretty high for the flyer who can't seem to keep away from the opposition tryline, no matter the format. She did it on her Springbok Women's Sevens debut as South Africa beat Argentina in the final of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger tournament in Poland. She also featured in the play-off tournament in Los Angeles that ended in heartbreak for SA in the HSBC SVNS Play-off tournament. Now, the 22-year-old Bulls Daisies wing has the chance to announce herself to the Test arena as part of the Springbok squad that will defend their Rugby Africa Women's Cup title in Madagascar. The Springbok Women face Uganda in the first of three Rugby Africa Women's Cup matches in Antananarivo on Saturday next week. Kenya and the hosts are the other teams competing. Mokone, the leading try-scorer in the Women's Premier Division this year, with 13 tries for the Daises, is blessed with blistering pace, offload ability, a wicked sidestep, strength, and reads the game well. She is a nightmare for any defender, as South Africa's continental rivals could soon discover should coach Swys de Bruin choose to unleash her in Madagascar. 'Yes, it has been a good couple of months for me,' Mokone said, beaming, 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.'
IOL News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Springbok Women's Sevens still focused on Hollywood ending despite shifting goalposts
Mathrin Simmers Mathrin Simmers, carrying the ball, will lead the Springbok Women's Sevens side in Los Angeles this weekend. Photo: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix There will be no Hollywood ending for the Springbok Women's Sevens team, who were dreaming of a quick return to rugby sevens' top table via this weekend's HSBC SVNS Play-off tournament at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles. World Rugby announced on Thursday that the HSBC SVNS format will change for the next season and that only eight teams will participate in each gender, making it impossible for the South African side to join their Blitzbok counterparts in the elite competition. A second-tier series with three tournaments was introduced, and Renfred Dazel's team will now target that to maintain their momentum and standing in the world game. Only a top-four finish in LA will secure their place in the second-tier tournament, and failure to do so will force them to the regional qualifications route again. The original format had the bottom four teams in the 12-team HSBC SVNS Series playing the top four teams in the lower tier Challenger Series for four spots in the elite league at the play-off tournament in the US. The Springbok Women's Sevens head coach is refusing to focus on the dramatic 11th-hour plot twist, however. "If you think of the situation last year, it was a format that no one did before, but this one is slightly better because if you top your pool, then you don't have to play any more games, you qualify. And if finish last in your pool, you're eliminated," Dazel said. "If you finish second and third, there's one more play-off game, but hopefully we don't go there and we just get through our pool, and we'll see. "The plan is to set the standard in the first game against Ireland, and take it further from there. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ "We played them before and were competitive, bar a lapse or two, and that cost us. "We are breaking up this match by minutes. We want to make sure we win every minute and play. If we do, the result will be ours." The South Africans lost their World Series core status in Madrid last year, and according to Dazel, they learnt valuable lessons then. The former Blitzboks star said the fact that they played all three opponents before will help in their planning. The #HSBCSVNS format may have changed, but for the #BokWomen7s, the goal remains the same in LA this weekend - more here: 🫡#RiseUp — SA Women's Rugby (@WomenBoks) May 2, 2025 He feels that defence will be key against China: 'They play a lot like Japan – they keep the ball alive and do their swivels, play their deep switches, that is China for you. 'Our defence will be key in that game as I believe our attack is our strong suit and will bring the points, but then we must not concede.' Dazel said the recent victories over Argentina, as recent as last month in the final Challenger Series tournament in Krakow, Poland, will also act as pointers for their final pool match. 'We played Argentina twice and beat them both times, the last time in the Krakow final, so we have our plans for that match. But first things first, and that will be Ireland.' Springbok Women's Sevens Squad 1 Leigh Fortuin 3 Patience Mokone 4 Zintle Mpupha 6 Felicia Jacobs 7 Maria Tshiremba 9 Nadine Roos 10 Mathrin Simmers (captain) 11 Zandile Masuku 14 Simamkele Namba 16 Shiniqwa Lamprecht 23 Ayanda Malinga 27 Alicia Willemse 29 Rights Mkhari SA Pool B schedule (SA times, live on SuperSport): Saturday: SA v Ireland (7.44pm); SA v China (11.07pm) Sunday: SA v Argentina (7pm)
