Hong Kong Sevens update: Blitzboks finish sixth
The Springbok Sevens team dodged a first bullet in Hong Kong this weekend, which was an important objective for the team.
The Springbok Sevens team dodged a first bullet in Hong Kong this weekend, which was an important objective for the team.
According to interim head coach Philip Snyman, their next aim is to rise back into the top four again.
Snyman’s assessment came after the Blitzboks finished sixth in the Hong Kong Sevens tournament, which saw them qualify for the Grand Final of the reimagined HSBC SVNS in Madrid at the end of May.
The Blitzboks picked up enough log points in Hong Kong, where they delivered their third best finish in the season so far, to remain in the top eight on the overall log and will be part of the winner-takes-all spectacle in Spain.
“It was important for us to stop the slide down the rankings, and I am pleased we could do that,” said Snyman.
“We also topped our pool for the first time in a while, which is evidence of the team’s improvement from the North American leg.”
However, after topping their pool, the Blitzboks were beaten in their last two outings, losing 15-0 to Australia in the quarter-finals on Saturday, and by 33-14 to Fiji on Sunday in the fifth-place playoff.
With their tickets to Madrid booked, the next tournament (Singapore, 3-5 May) will be used to fine-tune their squad for the trip to Spain and the repechage tournament for Olympic Games qualification in Monaco in June, Snyman said.
Meanwhile, New Zealand completed the ‘double’ in Hong Kong, winning both the men’s and women’s titles.
It’s been a downhill slide for the Springbok Sevens side after they triumphed on home soil in Cape Town in the opening round last December.
The Blitzboks entered the Hong Kong tournament in seventh place in the overall standings.
There have been several changes to this season’s series, most notably only 12 competing teams, down from 16 in previous editions.
In addition, there will only be eight tournaments this season, down from 11 last season.
Also, the points awarded to teams after each tournament has changed.
STANDINGS AFTER HONG KONG SEVENS
| Rank | Country | Points |
| 1 | Argentina | 94 |
| 2 | Ireland | 86 |
| 3 | Fiji | 76 |
| 4 | France | 74 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 73 |
| 6 | Australia | 69 |
| 7 | South Africa | 58 |
| 8 | USA | 44 |
| 9 | Great Britain | 37 |
| 10 | Spain | 33 |
| 11 | Samoa | 27 |
| 12 | Canada | 13 |
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