Blitzboks crowned champs of Cape Town for first time since 2015

The Springbok Sevens team won the HSBC Sevens Cape Town for the first time in nine years when they defeated France 26-14 in a pulsating final at the Cape Town Stadium on Sunday evening.

It was the perfect ending to a tournament played in excellent conditions in front of an appreciative crowd of more than 75,000 over two days in the Mother City, where the Blitzboks won all four of their games.

The last time South Africa won their home tournament at Cape Town Stadium was in 2015, against Argentina in the final. They were runners up in 2016 (against England) and 2019 (against New Zealand).

With Springbok captain Siya Kolisi in attendance, the Blitzboks played their hearts out, scoring four tries to France’s two.

France scored in the first minute, but South Africa hit back a few minutes later when Donavan Don raced through on a perfect angle from an attacking line-out to make it 7-7.

From the restart, Impi Visser won the ball back and after a few attacking phases, Zain Davids smashed his way through the French defence, with Ricardo Duarttee’s second conversion giving South Africa a seven-point lead.

The French hit back on the stroke of half time with another converted try and the teams went into the break even on 14-14.

The second half belonged to the Blitzboks, though, as Shilton van Wyk scored from a superb Dewald Human grubber before David Brits all but sealed the deal with four minutes to go.

Despite a yellow card to Siviwe Soyizwapi, the Blitzboks held on for a fantastic victory.

Earlier on Sunday, the Blitzboks had to dig deep, but did what was necessary in their cup semifinal against Spain, winning 19-12 to advance to the final for the first time since 2019.

Spain shocked the big crowd to take a 12-0 lead with two tries in quick succession shortly before the break, with the Blitzboks stuck in their own half with very little possession. 

However, a breakaway try by Davids on just before half time gave the South Africans and their fans a glimmer of hope against last weekend’s runners up in Dubai. Tristan Leyds missed the conversion and Spain led 12-5 at the break.

The Blitzboks had the best possible start to the second half though when they spread the ball wide quickly from a line-out to Van Wyk, who sped away for a brilliant try, with Leyds’s conversion levelling the scores with six minutes to go.

A few minutes later, the Blitzboks again attacked from a set piece, this time a scrum in the Spanish 22, and Leyds had just enough space to go over under the sticks, with his conversion putting the hosts in the lead by seven points.

Fiji finished the weekend with a win and the bronze medal after they beat Spain 47-10 in the third-place playoff, in a repeat of last weekend’s final in Dubai.

In the women’s competition, New Zealand were crowned champions after beating the US= 26-12 in the final and France took the bronze medal after defeating the Aussies 17-14.

Scorers in the men's final

Blitzboks 26 (14) — Tries: Donavan Don, Zain Davids, Shilton van Wyk, David Brits. Conversions: Ricardo Duarttee (3).

France 14 (14) — Tries: Celian Pouzelgues, Varian Pasquet. Conversions: Stephen Parez Edo Martin, Paulin Riva.