‘We can finally call ourselves champions’ — Blitzboks celebrate first Hong Kong title

The Blitzboks have finally broken their Hong Kong hoodoo, as they dismantled Argentina 35-7 in the final on 19 April at Kai Tak Stadium to secure their first-ever title at the famed tournament.

Despite nearly three decades of attempts and four previous finals appearances, the Blitzboks have never lifted the trophy in Hong Kong.

“I’m just so proud of the boys,” said Blitzboks captain Impi Visser. “It’s truly something special we achieved today, and I think we broke the hoodoo of Hong Kong Sevens, and we can finally call ourselves champions.”

It was their first final in Hong Kong in nine years.

Ever since the HSBC SVNS series returned after Covid-19, the Blitzboks have not even finished in the top five, with their poorest performance last year when they placed ninth overall.

“Thanks to all the fans that have come out,” said Visser. “We know there is a big South African community in Hong Kong. And everyone back home that also got up early mornings and offered up their weekends to watch us play, thank you to them as well.”

A statement final

It was somewhat of a déjà vu moment, meeting Argentina and beating them in a final as the Blitzboks had done in Cape Town not so long ago.

The belligerent Tristan Leyds set the tone of the game when he scored a try in the first minute, racing into an early 7-0 lead.

The defending Hong Kong Sevens champions returned the favour not long after when Argentina equalised with a converted try from Santino Sangara.

However, the Argentinians were no match for the defensive prowess of the Blitzboks, who prevented them from scoring again.

The South American side were starved of space and possession, with South Africa forcing errors and consistently capitalising, adding four more tries to seal an emphatic 35-7 victory.

“It’s really special,” said player of the match Leyds. “First time in history for the Blitzboks system [...] I mean, it started off slowly in the tournament, but we took it game by game, and I think we perfected it in the final.

“We’re growing day by day, tournament by tournament, and it just shines on the field, where we look after each other. A couple of mis-tackles by me, but the boys will bail me out there.”

A tough start

The path to the title, however, was far from smooth.

South Africa endured a difficult opening day, edging Uruguay 12-7 before suffering a heavy 31-12 defeat to Spain, who have had an inconsistent season and came second-last in SVNS 1.

“Day one, we were very poor; got a hiding from Spain, Uruguay gave us a tough time. So, I think we did well coming back on day two, to show what the team’s all about,” said Visser.

“We had to make a step up in our attacking ability, especially day one, we gave a lot of ball away, but I think it was a lot better in the quarters, semis and finals today.”

The Blitzboks bounced back on day two with a commanding 38-0 win over Argentina in the final game of the pool stages.

However, their quarterfinal game against Kenya nearly saw South Africa pack their bags before rallying for a 26-22 win.

Up until the Championship, Kenya have been stuck in the second division, waiting for the chance to prove their worth. The African side were just as spirited as the Blitzboks and met them strength to strength.

With three minutes of the game remaining, Selvyn Davids of the Blitzboks was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, and the Kenyans took advantage and scored a try.

Needing two tries in two minutes to win the game, the Blitzboks made miracles happen.

Siviwe Soyizwapi scored the winning try, making the extra time worthwhile.

Soyizwapi, who made his sevens debut in Hong Kong exactly a decade ago, has been incredibly impactful coming off the bench, consistently making crucial tackles – as he did in the final today – and scoring impactful tries.

South Africa’s defensive prowess, especially from Ryan Oosthuizen and Visser, has remained central throughout the HSBC SVNS series overall, complemented by the attacking threats in Shilton van Wyk, Davids and Leyds.

Early championship advantage

The tournament victory gives the Blitzboks an early advantage in the three-tournament HSBC SVNS World Championship as they top the table.

In contrast, the Springbok Women’s Sevens endured a difficult outing, finishing at the bottom of the standings.

The Blitzboks will have just over a month to regroup before the next stop in Valladolid, Spain, from 29-31 May, as they seek to build on a landmark victory that has rewritten their history in Hong Kong. DM