Springbok Women's Sevens captain Zintle Mpupha remains proud of her squad's immense growth and work ethic this season, confident that the foundations have been laid to take the Blitzboks women back to the very top. Photo: Backpagepix
The Springbok Women's Sevens' dream of returning to the HSBC SVNS Series will have to wait another year, but coach Cecil Afrika believes the lessons learnt during a demanding campaign could prove invaluable for the team's long-term future.
South Africa's hopes of securing core status for 2027 ended with a 12th-place finish at the third and final SVNS World Championship tournament in Bordeaux, where only the top eight teams booked their places in next season's elite series. While the result was disappointing, Afrika was quick to place it in the context of a season that often forced his side to play catch-up.
The Bok Women suffered a significant setback earlier in the campaign when injuries disrupted preparations ahead of the Hong Kong tournament, limiting the time available to build combinations and momentum at a crucial stage of the season.
"We never really had a chance in Hong Kong due to the short time together after the injuries," Afrika said.
