Cecil Afrika praises players after Bok Women’s Sevens’ Dubai win

The way the Springbok Women’s Sevens defended and controlled the tempo of their matches was a highlight for SA coach Cecil Afrika, who also attributed their HSBC SVNS 3 success in Dubai to good teamwork from the players.

After an unbeaten run in pool play on Saturday, the Bok Women’s Sevens first eliminated Poland in the semifinals on Sunday morning before fighting back to beat Argentina 12-5 in the final.

In the process, Afrika claimed his second consecutive tournament title since taking over the coaching in October, adding the Dubai title to the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Cup they won in November in Nairobi, the team’s next stop on their 2026 journey.

“It was a great win, and the players deserve all the credit. We really defended well, but our attack also proved very effective,” Africa said.

“Overall, I think we got the balance right at the tournament.

“When we needed to, we defended our line very well, and when the opportunity came we could switch to attack and scored some nice tries.

“One of the keys to a successful defensive effort is for players to work hard for each other, getting back in line, getting back off the floor to get in position and trusting the system and not trying things on your own.”

Afrika said they would enjoy the win, which has seen them qualify for the HSBC SVNS 2 series, before they get back on the horse for the three tournaments, with the first played in Nairobi on February 14 and 15.

“We must also acknowledge the players who did not travel this time but are part of the squad,” he said.

“They helped us with our preparation, and I am happy to say we got our tactics and game analysis right.”

Selected stats:

Most points: Nadine Roos 54 (4 tries, 17 conversions)

Most tries: Maria Tshiremba 7. — SA Rugby Communications