The Springbok Women’s Sevens dictated the rhythm, set the defensive heartbeat and squeezed the life out of opponents in their HSBC SVNS 3 victory in Dubai.
For head coach Cecil Afrika, the standout of their flawless HSBC SVNS 3 campaign was not only the silverware, but the way his side controlled the tempo, blending ironclad defence with clinical attacking strikes.
Unbeaten through pool play, the Bok Women edged Poland in a tense semi-final before digging deep from the trenches to overturn Argentina 12–5 in Sunday’s final — a comeback forged in patience, discipline and trust.
The victory delivered Afrika his second consecutive title since taking charge in October, following November’s Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Cup triumph in Nairobi, fittingly, the squad’s next destination on their 2026 journey.
“It was a great win and the players deserve all the credit. We really defended well, but our attack also proved very effective,” said Afrika.
The coach highlighted the team’s ability to shift gears seamlessly, absorbing pressure before striking when the defensive walls finally cracked.
“Overall, I think we got the balance right at this tournament. When we needed to, we defended our line very well and when the opportunity came, we could switch to attack and scored some really nice tries.”
At the core of that success was a defensive ethos built on collective effort rather than individual heroics. It a seven-player net that snapped shut time and again.
“One of the keys to a successful defensive effort is for players to work hard for each other, getting back in line, getting back off the floor to get in position and to trust the system and not try things on your own.”
The Dubai title also secures qualification for the HSBC SVNS 2 series, a three-tournament stretch that begins in Nairobi on 14–15 February. But before saddling up again, Afrika insists the squad will take a moment to savour the breakthrough.
“We must also acknowledge those players who did not travel this time but are part of the squad,” he said. “They helped us with our preparation and I am happy to say we got our tactics and game analisys right also.”
Selected Stats
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Most points: Nadine Roos – 54 (4 tries, 17 conversions)
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Most tries: Maria Tshiremba – 7
The team departs Dubai later on Sunday and will arrive back in Cape Town at 11:00 on Monday.
