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South Africa national rugby sevens team
Rugby union sevens team
Rugby union sevens team
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | South Africa |
| Badge | South Africa national rugby sevens team.svg |
| Badge_size | 206 |
| Emblem | Springbok |
| Union | South African Rugby Union |
| Confederation | Rugby Africa |
| Coach | Philip Snyman |
| Captain | Selvyn Davids |
| Most caps | Branco du Preez (85) (Most Tournament Caps) |
| Top scorer | Cecil Afrika (1,430) |
| Top try scorer | Seabelo Senatla (224) |
| World Rugby Trigramme | RSA |
| pattern_la1 | _sa25h |
| pattern_b1 | _sa25h |
| pattern_ra1 | _sa25h |
| pattern_sh1 | _sides_on_white |
| pattern_so1 | _3_stripes_gold |
| leftarm1 | 275237 |
| body1 | 275237 |
| rightarm1 | 275237 |
| shorts1 | FFFFFF |
| socks1 | 275237 |
| pattern_la2 | _sa25a |
| pattern_b2 | _sa25a |
| pattern_ra2 | _sa25a |
| pattern_sh2 | _sides_on_green |
| pattern_so2 | _3_stripes_green |
| leftarm2 | FEFEFE |
| body2 | FEFEFE |
| rightarm2 | FEFEFE |
| shorts2 | 275237 |
| socks2 | FFFFFF |
| World cup sevens apps | 8 |
| World cup sevens first | [1993](1993-rugby-world-cup-sevens) |
| World cup sevens best | Runners-up ([1997](1997-rugby-world-cup-sevens)) |
the men's team
- Springbok Sevens
- Blitzboks
- Blitzbokke
| World cup sevens apps = 8 | World cup sevens first = 1993 | World cup sevens best = Runners-up (1997)
The South African national rugby sevens team, commonly known as the Springbok Sevens, competes in the World Rugby Sevens Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the Summer Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games. Overall, the team has won the World Rugby Sevens Series 4 times, as well as having won 40 tournaments in the series.
History
After readmission to international sport following the ending of the apartheid ban, the team played their first sevens tournament in the 1993 Hong Kong Sevens, and also participated in the 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens. They also played in the Hong Kong Sevens for the next two seasons. In 1996, they also took part in the Punta Del Este Sevens in Uruguay and the Dubai Sevens.
They participated in the 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens the following year as well as in 1998, they played three South American tournaments – the Mar Del Plata Sevens in Argentina, the Punta Del Este Sevens and the Viña del Mar Sevens in Chile. 1999 saw them participate in the Mar Del Plata Sevens, the Santiago Sevens in Chile, the Fiji Sevens, the Hong Kong Sevens, the Japan Sevens and the Paris Sevens.
At the end of 1999, the first World Rugby Sevens Series (then the IRB Sevens World Series) started and the team have been participating in that series ever since. In addition to the Sevens Series, they also played in the Rugby World Cup Sevens, the Commonwealth Games, the World Games and, from 2016 onwards, the Olympic Games.
The team's nickname, "Blitzboks", is derived from "blitz" an Afrikaans word meaning lightning, and the derivative of Springbok ("Bok"), the official emblem of the South African rugby team.
Kit
Sponsors on kit
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2004–2011 | Canterbury | SASOL |
| 2011–2014 | Absa | |
| 2014–2016 | Asics | |
| 2016–2018 | Steinhoff | |
| 2018–2022 | Castle Lager | |
| 2022–2023 | WeBuyCars | |
| 2023–2025 | Nike | |
| 2025–Present | FNB |
Tournament history
World Rugby Sevens Series
Main article: South Africa at the World Rugby Sevens Series
Series Record
| Season | Position | Total | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| [1999–00](1999-00-world-sevens-series) | **5th** | ||
| [2000–01](2000-01-world-sevens-series) | **5th** | ||
| [2001–02](2001-02-world-sevens-series) | **2nd** | ||
| [2002–03](2002-03-irb-sevens-world-series) | **4th** | ||
| [2003–04](2003-04-world-sevens-series) | **5th** | ||
| [2004–05](2004-05-world-sevens-series) | **4th** | ||
| [2005–06](2005-06-world-sevens-series) | **3rd** | ||
| [2006–07](2006-07-irb-sevens-world-series) | **4th** | ||
| [2007–08](2007-08-irb-sevens-world-series) | **2nd** | ||
| [2008–09](2008-09-irb-sevens-world-series) | **1st** | ||
| [2009–10](2009-10-irb-sevens-world-series) | **6th** | ||
| [2010–11](2010-11-irb-sevens-world-series) | **2nd** | ||
| [2011–12](2011-12-irb-sevens-world-series) | **5th** | ||
| [2012–13](2012-13-irb-sevens-world-series) | **2nd** | ||
| [2013–14](2013-14-irb-sevens-world-series) | **2nd** | ||
| [2014–15](2014-15-sevens-world-series) | **2nd** | ||
| [2015–16](2015-16-world-rugby-sevens-series) | **2nd** | ||
| [2016–17](2016-17-world-rugby-sevens-series) | **1st** | ||
| [2017–18](2017-18-world-rugby-sevens-series) | **1st** | ||
| [2018–19](2018-19-world-rugby-sevens-series) | **4th** | ||
| [2019–20](2019-20-world-rugby-sevens-series) | **2nd** | ||
| [2021](2021-world-rugby-sevens-series) | **1st** | ||
| [2021–22](2021-22-world-rugby-sevens-series) | **2nd** | ||
| [2022–23](2022-23-world-rugby-sevens-series) | **7th** | ||
| [2023–24](2023-24-svns) | **7th** | ||
| [2024–25](2024-25-svns) | **4th** |
Grand Final Record
| Event | Position | Total | - |
|---|---|---|---|
| [2024](2024-spain-sevens) | **6th** | ||
| [2025](2025-usa-sevens) | **1st** |
Series tournament wins
South Africa won the following tournaments on the Sevens World Series since its inception in 1999–2000:
44 Tournament wins up to 8 December 2025
| Season | Tournament | Final opponent | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [2001–02](2001-02-world-sevens-series) | [2002 Wellington Sevens](2002-wellington-sevens) | Samoa | 17–14 | |
| [2002–03](2002-03-world-sevens-series) | [2003 Cardiff Sevens](2003-cardiff-sevens) | Argentina | 35–17 | |
| [2003–04](2003-04-world-sevens-series) | [2003 Dubai Sevens](2003-dubai-sevens) | New Zealand | 33–26 | |
| [2004 Singapore Sevens](2004-singapore-sevens) | Argentina | 24–19 | ||
| [2004–05](2004-05-world-sevens-series) | [2005 London Sevens](2005-london-sevens) | England | 21–12 | |
| [2005–06](2005-06-world-sevens-series) | [2006 Paris Sevens](2006-paris-sevens) | Samoa | 33–12 | |
| [2006–07](2006-07-irb-sevens-world-series) | [2006 Dubai Sevens](2006-dubai-sevens) | New Zealand | 31–12 | |
| [2007–08](2007-08-irb-sevens-world-series) | [2008 Adelaide Sevens](2008-adelaide-sevens) | New Zealand | 15–7 | |
| [2008–09](2008-09-irb-sevens-world-series) | [2008 Dubai Sevens](2008-dubai-sevens) | England | 19–12 | |
| [2008 South Africa Sevens](2008-south-africa-sevens) | New Zealand | 12–7 | ||
| [2009 Adelaide Sevens](2009-adelaide-sevens) | Kenya | 26–7 | ||
| [2010–11](2010-11-irb-sevens-world-series) | [2011 USA Sevens](2011-usa-sevens) | Fiji | 24–14 | |
| [2011 London Sevens](2011-london-sevens) | Fiji | 24–14 | ||
| [2011 Edinburgh Sevens](2011-edinburgh-sevens) | Australia | 36–35 | ||
| [2012–13](2012-13-irb-sevens-world-series) | [2013 USA Sevens](2013-usa-sevens) | New Zealand | 40–21 | |
| [2013 Japan Sevens](2013-japan-sevens) | New Zealand | 24–19 | ||
| [2013 Scotland Sevens](2013-scotland-sevens) | New Zealand | 28–21 | ||
| [2013–14](2013-14-irb-sevens-world-series) | [2013 South Africa Sevens](2013-south-africa-sevens) | New Zealand | 17–14 | |
| [2014 USA Sevens](2014-usa-sevens) | New Zealand | 14–7 | ||
| [2014–15](2014-15-sevens-world-series) | [2014 Dubai Sevens](2014-dubai-sevens) | Australia | 33–7 | |
| [2014 South Africa Sevens](2014-south-africa-sevens) | New Zealand | 26–17 | ||
| [2015–16](2015-16-world-rugby-sevens-series) | [2015 South Africa Sevens](2015-south-africa-sevens) | Argentina | 29–14 | |
| [2016–17](2016-17-world-rugby-sevens-series) | [2016 Dubai Sevens](2016-dubai-sevens) | Fiji | 26–14 | |
| [2017 Wellington Sevens](2017-wellington-sevens) | Fiji | 26–5 | ||
| [2017 Sydney Sevens](2017-sydney-sevens) | England | 29–14 | ||
| [2017 USA Sevens](2017-usa-sevens) | Fiji | 19–12 | ||
| [2017 Paris Sevens](2017-paris-sevens) | Scotland | 15–5 | ||
| [2017–18](2017-18-world-rugby-sevens-series) | [2017 Dubai Sevens](2017-dubai-sevens) | New Zealand | 24–12 | |
| [2018 Paris Sevens](2018-paris-sevens) | England | 24–14 | ||
| [2018–19](2018-19-world-rugby-sevens-series) | [2019 Vancouver Sevens](2019-canada-sevens) | France | 21–12 | |
| [2019 Singapore Sevens](2019-singapore-sevens) | Fiji | 20–19 | ||
| [2019–20](2019-20-world-rugby-sevens-series) | [2019 Dubai Sevens](2019-dubai-sevens) | New Zealand | 15–0 | |
| [2020 Los Angeles Sevens](2020-usa-sevens) | Fijj | 29–24 | ||
| (a.e.t.) | ||||
| [2021](2021-world-rugby-sevens-series) | [2021 Vancouver Sevens](2021-canada-sevens-vancouver) | Kenya | ||
| [2021 Edmonton Sevens](2021-canada-sevens-edmonton) | Great Britain | 24–12 | ||
| [2021–22](2021-22-world-rugby-sevens-series) | [2021 Dubai Sevens](2021-dubai-sevens) | United States of America | 42–7 | |
| [2021 Dubai Sevens](2021-dubai-sevens) | Australia | 10–7 | ||
| [2022 Málaga Sevens](2022-spain-sevens-malaga) | Argentina | 24–17 | ||
| [2022 Seville Sevens](2022-spain-sevens-seville) | Australia | 33–7 | ||
| [2022–23](2022-23-world-rugby-sevens-series) | [2022 Dubai Sevens](2022-dubai-sevens) | Ireland | 21–5 | |
| [2023–24](2023-24-svns) | [2023 Dubai Sevens](2023-dubai-sevens-men-s-tournament) | Argentina | 12–7 | |
| [2024–25](2024-25-svns) | [2024 South Africa Sevens](2024-south-africa-sevens) | France | 26–14 | |
| [2025 USA Sevens](2025-usa-sevens) | Spain | 19–5 | ||
| [2025–26](2025-26-svns) | [2025 South Africa Sevens](2025-south-africa-sevens) | [[Argentina national rugby sevens team |
Quadrennial tournaments
Summer Olympics
| Olympic Games record | Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | L | D | Total | 0 Titles | 2/2 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRA 2016 | Bronze medal match | **3rd** | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||
| JPN 2020 | Fifth place match | 5th | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| FRA 2024 | Bronze medal match | **3rd** | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Olympic Games History |
|---|
| 2016 |
| **26 – 0** |
| **5 – 12** |
| Quarterfinals |
| Semifinals |
| Bronze Medal Match |
| 2020 |
| **14 – 5** |
| **17 – 12** |
| Quarterfinals |
| 5th Place Semifinals |
| 5th Place Match |
| 2024 |
| **5 – 17** |
| **49 – 5** |
| Quarterfinals |
| Semifinals |
| Bronze Medal Match |
Rugby World Cup Sevens
| World Cup Sevens record | Year | Round | Position | Played | Won | Lost | Drew | Total | 0 Titles | 8/8 | 43 | 32 | 11 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCO [1993](1993-rugby-world-cup-sevens) | Quarterfinals | 5th | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||
| Hong Kong [1997](1997-rugby-world-cup-sevens) | Final | 2nd | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| ARG [2001](2001-rugby-world-cup-sevens) | Quarterfinals | 5th | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| HKG [2005](2005-rugby-world-cup-sevens) | Quarterfinals | 5th | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||
| UAE [2009](2009-rugby-world-cup-sevens-men-s-tournament) | Quarterfinals | 5th | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| RUS [2013](2013-rugby-world-cup-sevens-men-s-tournament) | Quarterfinals | 5th | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| USA [2018](2018-rugby-world-cup-sevens-men-s-tournament) | Semifinals | 3rd | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| RSA [2022](2022-rugby-world-cup-sevens) | 7th place final | 7th | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Commonwealth Games
| Commonwealth Games record | Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | L | D | Total | 2 Titles | 40 | 32 | 8 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia 1998 | Quarterfinalists | 5th | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| ENG 2002 | Semifinalists | **3rd** | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| AUS 2006 | Plate Finalists | 6th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |||||||
| India 2010 | Semifinalists | **3rd** | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| SCO 2014 | Champions | **1st** | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| AUS 2018 | Semifinalists | **4th** | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | |||||||
| ENG 2022 | Champions | **1st** | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Commonwealth Games history |
|---|
| 1998 |
| 1st Phase |
| 2nd Phase |
| 2nd Phase |
| Quarter-finals |
| 2002 |
| Pool stage |
| Pool stage |
| Quarter-finals |
| Semi-finals |
| Bronze Medal Match |
| 2006 |
| Pool stage |
| Pool stage |
| Quarter-finals |
| Plate Semi-finals |
| Plate Final |
| 2010 |
| Pool stage |
| Pool stage |
| Quarter-finals |
| Semi-Finals |
| Bronze Medal Match |
| 2014 |
| Pool stage |
| Pool stage |
| Quarter-finals |
| Semi-Finals |
| Gold Medal Match |
| 2018 |
| Pool stage |
| Pool stage |
| Semi-Finals |
| Bronze Medal Match |
| 2022 |
| Pool Stage |
| Pool Stage |
| Quarter-finals |
| Semi-Finals |
| Gold Medal Match |
World Games
| Tournament | Placing |
|---|---|
| [2005 Duisburg](2005-world-games) | 2nd (Silver) |
| 2009 Kaohsiung | 3rd (Bronze) |
| 2013 Cali | 1st (Gold) |
Players
Current squad
The following players have been selected to represent South Africa during the 2025–26 SVNS tournaments which began on 29 November 2025.
Note: Caps reflect the total number of Rugby Sevens events competed in as of the 2025 South Africa Sevens.
Records and statistics
Previous squads
The previous South African Sevens squads are as follows:
Player records
The following tables show the leading career South Africa players based on statistics from the World Rugby Sevens Series. Players in bold are still active.
| No. | Player | Tries |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 230 | |
| 2 | 179 | |
| 3 | 179 | |
| 4 | 114 | |
| 5 | **** | 117 |
| No. | Player | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 397 | |
| 2 | 373 | |
| 3 | 347 | |
| 4 | 345 | |
| 5 | 344 |
| No. | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1462 | |
| 2 | 1402 | |
| 3 | 1150 | |
| 4 | 1049 | |
| 5 | 925 |
Award winners
The following South Africa Sevens players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2004:
| Year | Nominees | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Seabelo Senatla | — |
| 2015 | Ruhan Nel | |
| 2021 | Ronald Brown | |
| 2023 | Ricardo Duarttee | **Ricardo Duarttee** |
| 2024 | Quewin Nortje | — |
| Year | Nominees | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Stefan Basson | — |
| 2008 | Fabian Juries | |
| 2009 | Renfred Dazel | |
| 2011 | Cecil Afrika | **Cecil Afrika** |
| 2014 | Kyle Brown | — |
| 2015 | Werner Kok | **Werner Kok** |
| Seabelo Senatla | ||
| 2016 | Seabelo Senatla (2) | **Seabelo Senatla** |
| 2017 | Rosko Specman | — |
| Year | No. | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1. | Selvyn Davids |
References
References
- "Springbok Sevens". [[SA Rugby]].
- "World Games Day 2: Fiji cruise to Gold Medal". Ultimate Rugby Sevens.
- "2013 World Games rugby results".
- [https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/stats/mens/alltime/players?metric=tries&team=2416 World Rugby website, current as of 15 March 2020]
- [https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/stats/mens/alltime/players?metric=tries&team=2416 World Rugby website, current as of 15 March 2020]
- [https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/stats/mens/alltime/players?metric=tries&team=2416 World Rugby website, current as of 15 March 2020]
- "Awards Roll of Honour - World Rugby".
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