Springbok Sevens ‘A’ clinch African Crown in Mauritius

The Springbok Sevens ‘A’ squad ended their season on a high note as they lifted the Rugby Africa Sevens Cup title in Port Louis, Mauritius, following a commanding 26-12 win over Madagascar in the final on Sunday.

The tournament, held at the Labourdonnais Sports Club, saw a determined South African outfit work their way through a tough field of contenders, including victories over Zimbabwe in the semi-final (19-12) and a dominant 26-0 win over defending champions Uganda in the quarter-finals.

Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman praised the team’s effort and how the young squad embraced the challenge.

“This was a good effort, and I am happy with the way the squad applied themselves and executed their duties,” said Snyman. “We had eight players who are uncapped at HSBC SVNS level, and they all fitted into the system and the team as the tournament took shape.”

Snyman highlighted the physicality of African teams and commended the new players for adjusting well: “The African teams are very physical, which is always a tough challenge, and then we encountered Madagascar, who play like Fiji with their offloads, in the final,  so that was a valuable learning curve for the new players.”

He added that the tournament experience would serve the players well in their development: “How to get going on day two with a sore body, how to plan and adapt for each opponent in the knockout phases and then how to deliver your best effort in a final. Those are all things they have encountered and will be better because of it.”

Co-captain Sebastiaan Jobb echoed Snyman’s sentiments, acknowledging the toughness of the tournament and the conditions.

“The hot conditions and physical approach by the other teams meant that we had to dig deep and apply ourselves,” said Jobb. “The African teams have a very physical way they play sevens, and our guys adapted well to that.”

Jobb was a standout performer throughout the tournament, notching up multiple tries across the knockout stages, including a hat-trick in the quarter-finals and a brace in the semi-final.

Fellow co-captain Mfundo Ndhlovu praised the professional structure behind the team’s preparation: “We came into this tournament as if it was part of the World Series, with the same programme, detail and feedback. That was valuable for the new players, as they could get a proper understanding of what will be demanded of them once they play for the Blitzboks.”

In the final against Madagascar, South Africa made their intentions clear early on. Jayden Nell opened the scoring after a strong angled run, with Ricardo Duarttee adding the conversion for a 7-0 lead. Ndhlovu then added to the scoreboard following a break from Gideon van Wyk, with another successful conversion by Duarttee stretching the lead to 14-0.

Madagascar responded with a dazzling long-range try built on a series of offloads, but Van Wyk and Duarttee combined again to restore South Africa’s 14-point lead just before halftime.

Madagascar struck back early in the second half with another long-range effort, but Nell’s second try, courtesy of a clever kick and regather from Jobb, sealed the 26-12 win for the South Africans.

Earlier in the day, the Springbok Sevens ‘A’ side swept aside Uganda with a clinical 26-0 win and overcame Zimbabwe in a tightly contested semi-final. Jobb’s double in the semi-final proved decisive in securing their place in the final.

The team had a steady start to their campaign on Saturday, opening with a 17-5 victory over Nigeria in Pool B. They followed that up with a 33-14 triumph over Zambia, thanks in part to two quick tries from Ndhlovu, and then closed out pool play with a convincing 31-0 win over Burkina Faso, with Jobb once again bagging a hat-trick.

Reflecting on the tournament, Snyman said the outing was the perfect way to close out the 2025 season.

“We finished strong and ticked our boxes here,” he said. “This was a well-organised event, and credit must go to Rugby Africa and the Mauritius Rugby Union for the way the tournament went. We could not have closed out our 2025 season in a better way, knowing that we got so much out of this event.”

The triumph in Mauritius not only highlighted South Africa’s rugby depth but also provided crucial exposure and development opportunities for the next generation of Blitzboks aiming for a spot on the world stage.