Springbok Women’s Sevens captain Mathrin Simmers feels their opponents in the first World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025 will offer contrasting challenges in style of play, but that they have the strategy and experience to cope with it.
The South Africans will face Hong Kong China (3.55pm) and Czechia (7.36pm) in Pool A at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.
“We have a plan for both opponents,” said Simmers on Friday. “We are expecting the opening game against Hong Kong China to be fast and expansive as they like to move the ball around.
“Our defence will have to be on par, but the crucial part will be our synergy on attack.
“We have an experienced core of players, but we have not played in a tournament since November when we won the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens in Ghana.
“That said, there are enough experienced players in all areas to hit the straps, while we did play a number of training matches and chukkas against a variety of opponents and styles in recent weeks.”
Simmers expects the Czechs to be more physical and direct in their approach.
“We are hoping that our rush defence will put our opponents’ skill set under pressure. I am really happy we have Rights Mkhari back on the field, she is so great in defence and getting our defensive lines connected.”
Simmers added that the experience and calmness of Nadine Roos, Ayanda Malinga and Zintle Mpupha will be vital to keep the new players in the group calm and focused.
It was a theme echoed by Roos and Mpupha.
There are six players at the series who played in the previous Challenger Series in 2023, so they know what to expect, Simmers said.
On that occasion, the South Africans were able to earn a return to the main SVNS Series with a good start in the opener in Stellenbosch.
They are hoping that home support can again propel them to the next stage.
After the two rounds in South Africa, only the top eight sides will travel to the final leg in Krakow, Poland.
From there, the top four sides will earn the right to compete with the bottom four SVNS Series teams in Los Angeles at the HSBC SVNS Play-off tournament from May 3-4.
“We are not getting ahead of ourselves, but we do have a good team coming into the tournament and we are confident that we will do well if we execute,” Simmers said.
“We’re very fortunate to have so many senior players in the team so sticking to the structure is not going to be that difficult.
“Basically, I think what we have is more like a rush defence, great line-speed that can put their skill set under pressure and obviously physical players. So, hopefully we can utilise all of that.”
Springbok Women’s Sevens Squad
1 Leigh Fortuin 4 Zintle Mpupha 6 Felicia Jacobs 7 Maria Tshiremba 8 Kayla Swarts 9 Nadine Roos 10 Mathrin Simmers (captain) 13 Kemisetso Baloyi 16 Shiniqwa Lamprecht 23 Ayanda Malinga 27 Alicia Willemse 29 Rights Mkhari
Pool A: South Africa, Czechia, Hong Kong China
Pool B: Argentina, Thailand, Mexico
Pool C: Belgium, Uganda, Colombia
Pool D: Poland, Kenya, Samoa