THE FUSE

After a stop-start opening day and an early injury setback, South Africa responded with resilience to cap a statement performance at HSBC SVNS 2.

Nairobi, Kenya (18 February 2026) – They were bruised, tested and pushed to the edge, and they walked away stronger.

The Springbok Women’s Sevens side delivered a stunning performance at the HSBC SVNS 2 tournament at Nyayo National Stadium, finishing second overall.

Saturday brought a rollercoaster of emotions. South Africa edged Spain 14-12 in a nail-biter, stumbled against Brazil (12-0), and then dug deep to clinch a 12-10 win over hosts Kenya.

Against Kenya, the South Africans showed composure. Shiniqwa Lamprecht opened the scoring after sharp work from Roos, and Maria Tshiremba added another after sustained pressure. Kenya came back, driven by a passionate home crowd, but South Africa held their nerve to close out a narrow win.

And that was only half the story.

On Sunday, the Bok Women returned with renewed intensity, claiming victories over China and log leaders Argentina. Coach Cecil Afrika couldn’t hide his pride in the way his squad responded.

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“The girls really played for each other and they showed how much that jersey means to them.”

Coach Cecil admitted Saturday wasn’t perfect, pointing to missed chances and a slow start despite the win over Spain.

“We started slowly and just could not convert our opportunities on day one. Although we started with a win over Spain, it was not our best performance.”

But what impressed him most was the growth shown 24 hours later.

“The defeat against Brazil was a continuation of the issue of not converting our chances, but on Sunday, we took our opportunities much better and that was pleasing. There were many learnings for us and we have something to work on when we start preparing for the next two tournaments.”

The dramatic extra-time victory over Argentina stood out as a defining moment.

With the series now heading to Montevideo and São Paulo, South Africa sit second on the log and firmly in contention for a top-four finish and World Championship qualification.

And for Coach Cecil, it was the the unique round-robin format which offered valuable lessons.

“We all had to adapt to the change in format and we could have been at the top, bar the bonus point Argentina gained from our match, so it is good lessons learned.”

Sources: SA Rugby

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