By Sitha Maliwa
The Springbok Women’s Sevens team is gearing up for a decisive showdown at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town this Friday, as they prepare for the second tournament of the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger Series 2025. With their impressive attacking capabilities and steadfast defensive mindset, the team is confident in their pursuit of the top spot.
Leading points scorer Nadine Roos expressed optimism about the team’s prospects. “A strong performance could secure a top of the log finish at the end of the second of two tournaments,” she noted, reflecting on their previous third-place finish in the first tournament held at the same venue last weekend.
The host nation faces Samoa and Poland in Pool C, and Roos outlined their strategic plans. “Samoa is a physical team, but they also have two speedsters that we will have to keep an eye on. They play direct, so we must keep our first time tackles spot-on to stop them from getting momentum,” she said.
Roos also highlighted their intention to leverage Samoa’s defensive patterns. “In our reviews, we noticed that they tend to be a bit narrow on defence, which will suit us as we want to play an expansive style against them. We want to move them around from side to side.”
With the goal of maintaining control and precise ball handling, Roos added, “Our focus for now is on this match, as a good start will give us momentum for the rest of the weekend.”
While South Africa has not faced Samoa recently, they have a better understanding of what to expect from Poland. “They are also a physical team, but not as much as Samoa and they do play a particular pattern,” Roos explained. “Our aim will be to disrupt that as I don’t believe their Plan B is as strong. Also, I know we have more speed than they do, so our speedsters will have to use every opportunity presented to them.”
Last weekend, South Africa’s defence was particularly impressive; they did not concede a single try. Roos attributed this resilience to the team’s mentality, stating, “These girls will not stop trying. We chase back and hunt everything down, so I don’t see us changing that habit.”
Playing in front of a home crowd is also expected to bolster the team’s performance. “Every bit of energy coming off the crowd is a boost to us. We love playing in front of our supporters, so hopefully there will be good numbers this weekend,” said Roos.
As they approach the second tournament, the team remains focused on claiming the top spot on the log. “We are determined to win this one,” Roos asserted. “Who knows what will happen to the other sides in the top four, so we could be in a strong position by the time we travel to Poland for the final tournament of the series.”
The tournament pool matchups are as follows:
Pools:
A: Kenya, Uganda, Belgium
B: Argentina, Czechia, Hong Kong China
C: South Africa, Poland, Samoa
D: Colombia, Thailand, Mexico
SA Pool Schedule at Athlone Stadium – Friday, 7 March:
15h11: Samoa
18h52: Poland
Top Six Teams After Round One:
1. Kenya – 20 points
2. Argentina – 18
3. South Africa – 16
4. Colombia – 14
5. Thailand – 12
6. Poland – 10
Leading Scorers After Round One:
1. Nadine Roos (South Africa) – 22 points
2. Talia Rodich (Argentina), Maribel Mestra (Colombia) – 20 points
3. Sofia Gonzalez (Argentina) – 17 points
Springbok Women Sevens Squad for the Second Challenger Tournament:
#1 Leigh Fortuin
#4 Zintle Mpupha
#6 Felicia Jacobs
#7 Maria Tshiremba
#8 Kayla Swarts
#9 Nadine Roos
#10 Mathrin Simmers (captain)
#13 Kemisetso Baloyi
#16 Shiniqwa Lamprecht
#23 Ayanda Malinga
#27 Alicia Willemse
#29 Rights Mkhari