Africa’s Date With Destiny In Decisive Leg of the HSBC SVNS World Championship In Bordeaux

Tomorrow, the HSBC SVNS World Championship final leg kicks off in Bordeaux, with South Africa Women facing France at 10:48 GMT. (Fixtures and streaming information below)

BORDEAUX, France – South Africa Men are gunning for their second straight HSBC SVNS World Championship title at the final leg of the 2026 competition in Bordeaux this weekend, while the continent’s second-best side, Kenya, are on the verge of a return to the top-flight of international Sevens rugby.

South Africa will surely fancy their chances of glory again despite suffering a heartbreaking 26–19 defeat to Australia in the final of the penultimate leg in Valladolid last Sunday.

Reigning champions South Africa – who launched their defence of the World Championship title brightly by being crowned winners of this year’s first leg in Hong Kong in April – arrived in the Spanish city of Valladolid last week aiming for their second straight gold medal in the global showpiece.

In-form Australia, however, finished strongly on Sunday to deny the Blitzboks in the second final of the three-legged series of the World Championship.

“Australia were deserved winners tonight,” South Africa head coach Philip Snyman said on Sunday.

“They used their opportunities better in the final and deserved the win – they played very good rugby all tournament long.”

Australia’s win came after a decisive TMO call right at the end disallowed a try by South Africa. Snyman reacted: “Sevens is brutal and so are the margins sometimes. We also had other opportunities, which we did not use, that one pass was not the reason we did not win.”

It was, in fact, South Africa’s second defeat to Australia in the Valladolid leg. On the second day of competition at the Estadio Jose Zorilla, the Aussies beat the holders 24–14 in their final pool match.

Despite winning their other pool matches comfortably, the world champions were then made to sweat for their 14–12 victory over Spain and 19–7 win against Argentina in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively.

It is that kind of start to tournaments that coach Snyman is desperate to avoid in Bordeaux if the Blitzboks are to leave Europe as world champions again this year.

“Earlier in the tournament (in Spain) we were not at our best and will have a look at that,” Snyman said this week.

“You are supposed to set the standard on day one and pick up the momentum from there, but we did not quite do that and in fact struggled on the first two days.”

However, ahead of the third and final leg in Bordeaux this weekend, South Africa still holds an advantage over their nearest rivals and landed in the French city from Spain earlier this week as favourites to claim a historic World Championship double.

Heading to France, the South Africans have 38 log points, a four-point lead over second-placed Argentina (34) and Australia in third on 30 points.

Rising Blitzboks star Jayden Nell feels the defending champions have what it takes to retain their title in France come final day on Sunday.

Nell said: “We know what to do and it all boils down to how we play together as a team. We have seen this year that if the guys do that, we are a tough team to beat.”

In Bordeaux, South Africa’s group stage opponents are fellow Africans Kenya, Fiji, and Great Britain.

While the Blitzboks have their own high expectations in the decisive French leg, the other men’s side from the continent, Kenya, will also be involved in one of the most important tournaments in their history.

Kenya came eighth in Spain last weekend after losing 14–5 to France in the seventh-place play-off.

On their way to the play-off, Kenya lost their first two group stage games to Australia and South Africa but dusted themselves off to beat Great Britain, securing Shujaa a place in the quarter-finals.

The East Africans were then outclassed 21–0 by Australia in the quarter-finals, leaving them with the task of fighting for seventh place alongside the French.

With Valladolid settled, Kenya are now in eighth place overall on the 12-team standings, on 14 points. That means they are still in with a good chance of securing core status in the top-tier HSBC SVNS Series if they can finish among the top eight nations at the end of the final leg in Bordeaux.

The bottom four sides at the conclusion of the 2026 World Championship will be relegated to the developmental HSBC SVNS 2 for the following season.

“The boys know what is at stake, and the whole nation is looking at them to deliver,” said Andrew Omonde, Kenya’s Strength and Conditioning coach.

“It’s all about the mental side of the game. We just need to contest for every ball and score from every opportunity.”

Before the team’s departure for the crucial final two legs in Europe, Kenya co-captain George Ooro told reporters in Nairobi of Shujaa’s confidence in their qualification chances.

“Thanks to sponsors and management. We plan to man up in the coming two weekends,” said Ooro.

Utility player Dennis Abukuse added that Kenya “will push to the very end” in the two tournaments to regain their place in the elite league of international Sevens rugby.

Kenya were relegated from the premier division after failing to finish among the top eight at the end of the 2024–25 campaign.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s women’s team finished in ninth place out of 12 in Valladolid, an improvement from their bottom-place position in Hong Kong.

The Springbok Women Sevens beat Brazil 19–12 and Argentina 19–17 to emerge with two victories following a winless run in the pool stages.

South Africa Women head coach Cecil Afrika was pleased with the outcome in Spain and now wants his charges to better that record in France this weekend.

“It was pleasing to finish with wins over Argentina and Brazil and coming so close against Fiji,” said Afrika.

“We want to be playing amongst the top eight sides and there is no reason why we cannot keep improving next weekend.

“We have grown nicely as a group, and it showed what was achieved back in Stellenbosch (during training camp). We are going to France with the knowledge that we are on an upward curve.”

 

 

Where to watch?

Supersport: Channel 211/SS Rugby

More information: Click Here

 

Match Day 1: Friday 5 June 2026 (GMT)

Women

• 10:48 – South Africa vs France
• 16:13 – South Africa vs New Zealand

Men

• 12:44 – Kenya vs Fiji
• 13:06– South Africa vs Great Britain
• 18:36 – South Africa vs Kenya

Match Day 2: Saturday 6 June 2026 (GMT)

Women

• 12:16 – South Africa vs Argentina

Men

• 08:44 – Kenya vs Great Britain
• 09:06 – South Africa vs Fiji

Match Day 3: Sunday 7 June 2026 (GMT)

Women

• TBD

Men

• TBD

 

Written by Enock Muchinjo