Oosthuizen rates Perth victory amongst top five in career

RYAN Oosthuizen has lifted HSBC SVNS trophies across the globe, but the Springbok Sevens victory in Perth on Sunday will rank among the most meaningful of his career, not for individual accolades, but for the manner in which the team responded to internal standards.

South Africa edged Fiji 21 to 19 in a tense final at HBF Park to claim their second tournament victory of the 2026 series, following success in Cape Town in December. Oosthuizen delivered a commanding performance in the decider, scoring two tries and earning Player of the Final honours.

Despite that recognition, the experienced forward said the achievement was rooted in collective accountability after a disappointing outing in Singapore.

“The Cape Town victory was the best ever for me in the 15 tournaments where I was part of the winning squad, but this effort in Perth comes very close and will rank amongst the top five,” Oosthuizen said.

“We came here frustrated and unhappy with how we played in Singapore, where individual errors damaged our structure and system.”

According to the 30-year-old, frank discussions within the squad helped reset focus and belief.

“We had honest conversations, and everyone realised we were our own worst enemy. Once we fixed that, we knew we would be very competitive, and that showed in our matches against Australia and Fiji.”

Oosthuizen, who played in his 60th World Series tournament, admitted the narrow defeats to Fiji in pool play in both Singapore and Perth added extra motivation heading into the final.

“We have set out to build the best sevens team and system in the world, and I believe we are moving in the right direction,” he said.

“We know what our standards are. In those two losses to Fiji, we did not meet them. When we are on song, we can beat Fiji comfortably, which made those defeats frustrating.”

He added that the final carried an added edge after physical exchanges in earlier encounters.

“We had a point to prove. We put respect back into the jersey, and that is what pleased me most.”

The Blitzboks return to Cape Town via Singapore on Tuesday, with Vancouver and New York next on the calendar before the series concludes with World Championship tournaments in Hong Kong, Valladolid, and Bordeaux.

“We worked very hard in pre-season, and these two wins reward that effort,” Oosthuizen said.

“I am looking forward to a short break with loved ones, then it is back to work. The job is not done.”