One step at a time for Springbok Women’s Sevens in Nairobi
The journey to redemption for the Springbok Women’s Sevens team starts at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi on Saturday and Sunday at the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Cup and for team captain, Nadine Roos, the options are simple.
“We have to play well, and as a team and make sure we play to the best of our abilities,” Roos said from Kenya on Friday, as the team did their final warm-up run before Saturday’s Pool A matches against Mauritius and Zimbabwe in the 12-team tournament.
The South Africans are unbeaten at this event but lost their way as a core HSBC SVNS team last season, and failed to qualify for the 2026 version of the world series.
The journey back will be challenging, but Roos is adamant that they arrived in East Africa well prepared and motivated to do well.
“We all know what is at stake and every member of the squad is ready to go,” said the SA playmaker.
“It will be important for us to focus on the here and the now on day one and get the momentum going, so we are not looking at the final result on Sunday, although that is crucial as well. Tomorrow will all be about the execution of the game plan and your role in the team.
“We have a strong team here, with experienced players, and I am confident that we will get the job done.”
Roos has been instrumental in the team’s past successes in this event and was the dominant player last year where she scored 85 points in six matches as they claimed the 2024 title in Ghana. In fact, she has amassed 201 points in the last four events.
“We need to play well as a team first, before any individual will stand out, so that will be my message to my teammates,” she said.
“We are under massive pressure, but we placed ourselves in this position and it is up to us to get out of that again. I am confident that we can.”
The Bok Women need to play in the final on Sunday, if they wish to progress on the qualification path. The top-performing team in Nairobi – excluding Kenya – will qualify for the single available place in the forthcoming SVNS Division Three season.
Under the newly introduced three-tier season structure, the eight-team Division Three competition will be staged as a standalone Challenger event in Dubai in January, while the higher divisions compete across multiple global venues.
Tournament details – Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens:
Dates: 15 & 16 November
Venue: RFUEA Grounds, Nairobi, Kenya
Pools:
Pool A: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mauritius
Pool B: Kenya, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire
Pool C: Uganda, Zambia, Burkina Faso
Pool D: Madagascar, Tunisia, Egypt
SA pool fixtures – Saturday, 15 November (SA times):
12h06: Mauritius
14h44: Zimbabwe
Broadcast: Streaming on Rugby Africa Facebook and RugbyPass TV
