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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)
South China Morning Post
30-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
History made at Hong Kong Sevens' shiny new Kai Tak home but questions remain
New Zealand and Argentina made history as the first Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens of the Kai Tak Stadium era came to a close on Sunday, with a mixture of nostalgia, a look to the future and continuing questions over the present. Advertisement For those of a certain vintage, the fly-past by a Cathay Pacific A350 evoked memories of a time when planes, rather than rugby balls, were landing where players now raced around. And while the HSBC SVNS Series has an uncertain future, Hong Kong only reinforced its place in the sport, even if the operators of its 'amazing, incredible, outstanding' new home face an uncomfortable few days. There was history, too, with New Zealand's women completing another dominant run to their third consecutive title with a 26-19 win over Australia, and Argentina claiming a first crown in the city by beating France 12-7. Hong Kong leader John Lee presents the Sevens trophy to Argentina's captain, Santiago Mare. Photo: Handout Black Ferns skipper Sarah Hirini said she hoped her team would be back to a 'bigger and better' Sevens next year, although what that might look like is open to debate.
South China Morning Post
30-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Sevens: Ireland journey threatens downwards turn, as Spain surge
As Mark Roche gave away his match-worn socks to a gleeful young fan inside Kai Tak Stadium, it was tempting to wonder if the hard-up Irish union would scold their player for his generosity. Advertisement After reporting losses of £15.3 million (US$19.8 million) in their 2023-24 accounts, which they blamed on costs for their men's 15s' 2023 World Cup quarter-final campaign, Irish rugby made changes to their 'funding model'. It is believed that Ireland's sevens teams have been in the crosshairs of cost-cutting chiefs. The men, who finished second in last year's HSBC SVNS Series standings, following only five years on the elite circuit, were a lowly 11th in this season's table, after climbing off the bottom with a seventh-placed finish in Hong Kong. Talking after his side beat Great Britain 28-12, Roche said he 'would not comment' on whether his team retained strong backing from their union. He said, however, that the country's full-time programme, which was introduced in 2015, remains operational, while Ireland's sevens teams still share a high-performance centre with their 15s counterparts. Ireland's Mark Roche passes the ball as Great Britain's players look on. Photo: Elson Li Nonetheless, the narrative around Roche's team has changed: last year, captain Harry McNulty told the Post about the 'special drive' that was responsible for Ireland's progress since they beat Hong Kong to gain world series status in 2019.
South China Morning Post
30-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Sevens: Argentina win first title, Kiwi women bag historic treble
This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP's journalism by subscribing . New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Sevens comes to a conclusion on Sunday, and there is sure to be as much interest in what happens off the pitch as on it. Saturday was not a good one for Kai Tak Sports Park, and the dismissive manner with which they handled people's complaints over a lack of food and drink is not likely to be forgotten in a hurry. It was a bad day for New Zealand's men too, who had their hopes of a historic third consecutive win in the city ended in the quarter-finals by France. HSBC SVNS Series and Olympic champions, the European side have never won in Hong Kong, and they are still waiting after losing to Argentina in the final on Sunday. Before that, the Black Ferns Sevens completed a historic treble with their win over Australia, and the city's teams have won their Melrose Claymores titles. It's day 3 at Kai Tak Stadium, follow us for live coverage of all the action as it happens. More from our reporting: Reporting by Lars Hamer, Mike Chan, Paul McNamara, Oscar Liu, Lo Hoi-ying, Connor Mycroft, Josh Ball, Tom Bell, Andrew Cesare Richardson and Shah Sahari.
South China Morning Post
29-03-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Sevens: hosts told to ‘finish the job' following more thrills at Kai Tak
Hong Kong captain James Christie warned his team that their landslide 43-21 victory over Japan on Saturday would mean nothing if they do not finish the job in Sunday's Melrose Claymores final. Advertisement For the second straight day, the city's men overcame a sticky start to thrill a raucous Kai Tak Stadium. There was a sense of deja vu, too, in the way the Hong Kong women got the ball rolling, walloping Thailand 47-0 about 24 hours after they inflicted similar pain on Kazakhstan. For the men, there is a sense of trying to atone for this month's Challenger Series disappointment, when poor performances in successive legs blew their chance of promotion to the HSBC SVNS Series. It is the teams in that elite-level series who contest the main prize in their hometown tournament, while Hong Kong play in the lesser Melrose Claymores section. Christie, who replaced former long-standing skipper Max Woodward last year, said trying to help his team out of the hole they found themselves in after Cape Town had been among the toughest challenges of his career. Two-try Harry Sayers evades a Japan challenge during Hong Kong's convincing victory. Photo: Elson Li 'It was a big surprise for me to be named captain,' Christie said. 'It was a good start in the Asia Rugby Sevens Series, when we won 15 out of 15, [but] then the Challenger was the lowest of the low.
