In a gripping home finale that pulsed with noise and nerve, the Springbok Sevens completed a perfect weekend to defend their crown at the Cape Town Sevens, edging World Series champions Argentina 21-19 and becoming the first men’s team to win back to back at this event. The result was more than a title defense, it was a statement of resilience after a fifth-place finish in Dubai a week earlier and a reminder of the Blitzboks’ ability to rise when the stadium breathes with them.
How the final was won
Argentina landed the first blow, with World Sevens Player of the Year Luciano Gonzalez scything through two tackles for the opening try, and the early surge set a steely tone. South Africa answered through Donavan Don, who exploited space after quick hands to race clear and level things, a response that kept the contest within reach.
Gonzalez then drew defenders and put Marcos Moneta, the 2023 World Series Player of the Year, into space for Argentina’s second, a moment that showcased their ruthless edge in transition. That strike gave the visitors a 14-7 lead at halftime, a cushion that grew to 19-7 early in the second period when Moneta beat multiple tackles for a superb individual score, and the final looked to be slipping.
The momentum shifted when debutant Sokoyi stepped inside two defenders and sprinted under the posts to cut the deficit to five, a moment of spark that flared into belief across Cape Town Stadium. Then came the play of the match, as Shilton van Wyk ripped possession from Moneta, attacked the line and offloaded to a flying Christie Grobbelaar, who curved away to score under the posts for the lead, a finish that was converted by Ricardo Duartee for 21-19.
There was still time for one last test of nerve. Argentina chased the restart but the Blitzboks pinned them back, and Duartee won a crucial turnover penalty that allowed the hosts to end the game with ball in hand and let the celebrations begin before the final whistle, an expression of the poise that defined their weekend.
An unbeaten run that lifted a city
The path to the final was as demanding as it gets. Drawn with Fiji, New Zealand and Great Britain on day one, the Blitzboks won all three, a powerful response after a tough start to the season in Dubai. They beat Fiji 24-21, turned a halftime deficit into a 19-14 win over New Zealand, then thumped Great Britain 41-7, a sweep that placed them top of Pool A.
On Sunday they had to subdue a surging France in the semifinal, grinding out a 22-17 victory with Ryan Oosthuizen crossing late. The defending Olympic champions pushed them to the edge, yet South Africa’s composure at the end mirrored the decisiveness that would later define the final, a thread that ran through every pressure moment.
Staying in the moment and owning the clutch plays
Captain Impi Visser explained the team’s mindset with elegant simplicity, saying their motto for the weekend was to stay in the moment. He credited that focus as the difference, adding that when the big moments arrived, they were ready to handle them, a clarity that translated into calm decisions when the contest frayed.
Visser also framed the triumph as a response to Dubai, noting that the team wanted to rectify things after finishing fifth. Winning at home after a rugged schedule, and doing it unbeaten, felt like redemption wrapped in green and gold, a standard that the group believes reflects what the jersey stands for.
When the big moments came, we were ready for them and could handle it, that was the difference today.
Key performers and turning points
Shilton van Wyk delivered a weekend of cutting runs and sharp finishes, and he was named player of the match in the final for a display that hinged on that vital turnover and assist to Grobbelaar. His two-try surge in the semifinal also set the tone for Sunday, a burst of pace that punctured French momentum and kept South Africa in control for long stretches.
Grobbelaar’s match-winning try will play on loop in local memory, a finish born from relentless support lines and the presence of mind to arc under the posts. The cameo of the debutant Sokoyi was equally critical, his footwork and acceleration under the posts hauling the Blitzboks back into range at 19-14, a contribution that the captain later highlighted with pride.
The final act, a turnover penalty won by Duartee, encapsulated the team’s defensive tenacity. Argentina had threatened throughout by converting South African errors into points, yet when it mattered most the Blitzboks cleaned the contests, tightened their tackling and seized the breakdown, a theme that threaded through the closing minutes.
Coach continuity and home energy
Under coach Philip Snyman the Blitzboks have now claimed three tournament victories, including a second in Cape Town, an endorsement of a project built on clarity and grit. This latest success also marks the first time the men’s team has defended the title in Cape Town, a historic hinge point for the home leg.
The stands were a character in their own right, with 68,124 spectators across the weekend at DHL Stadium creating a surge of sound that was both cajole and comfort. Visser praised the crowd’s influence, saying their energy lifted the team after mistakes, a living bond between terrace and team that felt decisive during the tournament’s tightest passages.
What the result means for the series
The victory moves South Africa into a share of the HSBC SVNS series lead after two tournaments, level with New Zealand and Fiji on 32 points. France sit fourth on 28, Australia fifth on 26 and Argentina are on 24, a reminder of how compact the leading pack has become early in the season.
The next stop arrives in late January in Singapore, and with three teams locked together, the margins will be defined by the same traits that underpinned this win, accuracy, field position and the ability to cash in during key moments. For a group that just proved its resilience, that challenge reads like an invitation.
The wider weekend in Cape Town
There was symmetry to the final pairing. A decade after these nations collided when the event was first staged at DHL Stadium, South Africa and Argentina met again with silverware in play, a neat echo that underscored how both programs have sharpened into modern pacesetters. The contest delivered on the promise with breathtaking line breaks and try-saving tackles, a fine advert for the format.
Elsewhere, the women’s tournament saw Australia reverse the Dubai result to beat New Zealand 26-12 and join them at the top of the standings. It was a fitting cap to a weekend that featured 267 tries in total, a stat that hints at the spectacle, and the razor edges of knockout rugby.
Semifinal grit and the route to the decider
Against France, South Africa surged to a 17-5 advantage through tries from Van Wyk and Tristan Leyds, before Josselin Bouhier’s brace pulled the game level at 17-17. The poise of the Blitzboks surfaced again, with Oosthuizen crossing late after pressure inside the French 22, a mirror of the composure that would later settle the final.
Argentina’s semifinal pathway was equally demanding as they beat Fiji 29-21 to book their place in the title match. The final, scheduled for 4:43 pm, was billed as a clash of form teams and it matched the billing, with each side capitalizing on the other’s slips until a single breakdown turnover and one searing support line proved the difference.
Scoreboard snapshots
- Pool stage, Fiji 24-21 South Africa powered home behind a Van Wyk hat-trick,
- Pool stage, South Africa 19-14 New Zealand sealed after a second half surge,
- Pool stage, South Africa 41-7 Great Britain a statement win to top Pool A.
- Semifinal, South Africa 22-17 France edged by Oosthuizen’s late try,
- Final, South Africa 21-19 Argentina secured after a Van Wyk strip and Grobbelaar finish.
Voices from the pitch
After lifting the trophy, Van Wyk could hardly contain his joy, calling the back to back achievement something special and thanking supporters for filling the stands. He reflected on the team’s step by step process, saying they took it game by game and were grateful to go five from five over the weekend, a tidy summary of the calm that underpinned the chaos.
Visser echoed that gratitude and turned it inward, saluting every player and the extended group who prepared the squad across two intense weeks. He also singled out the delight in seeing an experienced campaigner like Grobbelaar win in Cape Town and acknowledged the strong contribution from the debutant in the final, a captain appreciating the layers of a team effort.
Why this matters for South African sevens
This was not a title won on flair alone. It was secured by a team that learned from Dubai, tightened its error count and leaned into its identity, physical at the breakdown, relentless in transition and unafraid to back pace in space. The ability to stay present, to defend without panic and to turn pressure into points, that is the backbone of a campaign that now sits at the top of the standings.
Cape Town belongs to the Blitzboks once again, and this time the victory carries a little history with it. First to defend the title at home, unbeaten through a gauntlet that included Fiji, New Zealand, Great Britain and France, and a final seized from a champion Argentina side at the death, it reads like a blueprint and an inspiration wrapped together.
The next chapter will ask for the same habits, a strong set piece and breakdown presence, sharp decision making and the courage to strike when a sliver of space appears. After what we witnessed at Cape Town Stadium, there is every reason to believe this group will keep choosing the right moments and make them their own.
