Springbok Women’s Sevens Aim for Victory at Uruguay Tournament

Montevideo, Uruguay – The South African Springbok Women’s Sevens team is poised to compete in a crucial tournament in Uruguay, facing Spain, China, and Brazil on Saturday, followed by matches against Kenya and Argentina on Sunday. The team aims to secure a spot in the World Championships with a strong performance.

Tournament Format and Qualification

The tournament in Uruguay features a round-robin format where all teams play each other once, with points determining the winner. South Africa recently placed second in a tournament in Kenya last month, positioning them well to qualify for the World Championships. A similar showing in Uruguay, coupled with the final tournament in Brazil next weekend, will be vital for their chances.

Captain Roos Sets Ambitious Goals

Captain Nadine Roos has expressed confidence in the team’s ability to succeed, stating, “Without getting ahead of ourselves, the goal is to walk away winners from this tournament.” Roos emphasized the importance of focusing on each match individually, beginning with their opening challenge against Spain. “The first challenge is Spain and we are just looking at that match and what will be required for the win. Once we crossed that hurdle, we can seem at the next challenge.”

Preparing for Tough Competition

Roos acknowledged the challenges posed by their opponents, noting that Spain, Brazil, and China will be seeking to avenge previous encounters. “Spain will feel they were close enough to overturn the result, Brazil have the confidence of beating us and China will be looking for revenge. So we are well aware that all of them will be coming for us.”

Focus on Key Improvements

The team has been working on improving their transition from defense to attack, an area identified as needing improvement after the Kenya tournament. Roos as well stressed the importance of a strong defensive attitude, emphasizing the need to make tackles and deliver impactful hits. “Our work-ons was in transitioning from defence to attack, we were not at our best in that aspect in Kenya,” she said. “Also, defence is an attitude and ours will be not to miss any tackles and put in significant hits.”

Adapting to Travel Delays and Drawing Inspiration

Despite a delayed departure to South America, the team adapted their training schedule and maintained a positive mindset. The Springbok Women’s Sevens squad was also inspired by the recent victory of the Blitzboks (South African men’s sevens team) over Fiji in the HSBC SVNS Fresh York final. Roos highlighted the Blitzboks’ resilience as a motivating factor, noting their ability to stay in the fight until the very end.

New Debuts for Samboya and Bezuidenhout

The tournament will mark the debut of Maceala Samboya and Shanidiné Bezuidenhout for the Springbok Women’s Sevens team.

Springbok Women’s Sevens Fixtures (SA Times)

• Saturday, March 21:
• 16h23: Spain
• 18h46: China
• 21h36: Brazil
• Sunday, March 22:
• 19h23: Kenya
• 22h39: Argentina

Springbok Women’s Sevens Squad

• #3 Patience Mokone
• #7 Maria Tshiremba
• #9 Nadine Roos (captain)
• #10 Byrhandré Dolf
• #12 Liske Lategan
• #14 Simamkele Namba
• #16 Shiniqwa Lamprecht
• #19 Shanidiné Bezuidenhout (uncapped)
• #20 Catha Jacobs
• #23 Ayanda Malinga
• #26 Lerato Makua
• #27 Maceala Samboya (uncapped)
• #28 Shannon-Lee Windvogel