The Monaco winner will qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 23, 2024/ -- The Springbok Sevens team completed a successful pool stage of their World Rugby Sevens Repechage tournament in Monaco on Saturday, finishing top of Pool A with victories over Tonga (31-7) and Chile (26-7) after defeating Mexico (44-0) on Friday, and will now face Uganda at 11h31 (SA time) on Sunday in the quarter-final.

The Monaco winner will qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Springbok Sevens interim Head Coach, Philip Snyman, praised his troops after the three wins, saying that an important first hurdle was crossed.

"We needed to top the pool and to do so, we needed to play three good matches on the trot,” said Snyman.

“I think we did that over the last two days, and although it was not perfect, the first objective was reached.”

They will face Uganda - a team Snyman coached to Rugby World Cup Sevens qualification in 2022.

"They are skillful athletes and a country with a proud Olympic heritage, so need no motivation for this game,” Snyman said.

“For us the challenge will be to continue the momentum picked up over the first two days because tomorrow is when it really matters.”

The opening clash against Tonga was a physical affair as expected.

The Blitzboks countered that with superior ball skills and pace. Quewin Nortje again showed that his pace had no peers at this level with two well taken tries in the first half, and a Shilton van Wyk dotted down in the corner gave the SA side a 24-0 lead at the break.

The second half was more of the same although the Blitzboks conceded a try to keep them honest.

Against Chile, more patience was needed to break their opponents down.

Tristan Leyds opened the scoring after a delightful Selvyn Davids grubber opened up the Chilean defence. He converted as well for a 7-0 lead.

Van Wyk scored on the buzzer after a delightful Leyds offload, who converted as well for a 14-0 lead at the break.

In the second spell, Siviwe Soyizwapi finished a well-worked try from a counter-attack that started near their own line.

Chile pulled one back with two minutes left, but Ryan Oosthuizen scored after a soft touch by Tiaan Pretorius. and Shaun Williams converted.

Scorers:

South Africa 31 (10), Tonga 7 (0)

SA - Tries: Quewin Nortje (2), Shilton van Wyk, Selvyn Davids, Shaun Williams. Conversions: Leyds (3).

South Africa 26 (14), Chile 7 (0).

SA - Tries: Tristan Leyds, Shilton van Wyk, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Ryan Oosthuizen. Conversions: Leyds (2), Shaun Williams.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of South African Rugby.

Note to editors: Audio notes of Philip Snyman can be downloaded here https://apo-opa.co/3XExfNN.

For further information, please contact:

Andy Colquhoun
GM: Communications and Commercial
+27 (0) 21 928 7010
+27 (0) 82 926 0789
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

De Jongh Borchardt
Communications Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7021
+27 (0) 82 999 9979
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Rayaan Adriaanse
Junior Rugby Media Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7013
+27 (0) 82 999 0022
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sindiswa Ximba
Media Operations Coordinator
+27 (0) 21 928 7011
+27 (0) 60 504 1069
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Zeena Isaacs
Springbok Media Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7020
+27 (0) 82 357 3112
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

JJ Harmse
Sevens and Women's Rugby Media Manager
+27 (0) 21 928 7014
+27 (0) 71 480 4570
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SOURCE: South African Rugby