Springbok Women’s Sevens Secure Historic Victory Over Great Britain Before Red Card Halts Momentum in Hong Kong

The Springbok Women's Sevens beat Great Britain 19-5 in a famous win before a red card cost them a semifinal sweep. Read the full Hong Kong SVNS update.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 20, 2026, 4:56 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Rugby365

A Landmark Triumph on the Global Stage

The Springbok Women’s Sevens achieved one of their most significant results of the 2026 HSBC SVNS season, delivering a clinical 19-5 defeat to Great Britain in their final Pool B fixture. The victory showcased the growing tactical maturity of Cecil Afrika’s squad, as they overcame an early deficit to dominate one of the circuit's established core teams. While the result was enough to secure third place in their pool, the South Africans narrowly missed out on a quarterfinal berth due to an inferior points difference compared to Spain.

Tshiremba Leads the Charge

The primary catalyst for the pool stage victory was Maria Tshiremba, who produced a standout performance characterized by raw pace and clinical finishing. After Great Britain opened the scoring, Tshiremba responded with a spectacular 60-meter solo effort to level the match. She followed this with a second try after a well-executed sequence of interplay with Eloise Webb. The victory was eventually sealed when Lerato Makua broke clear of the British defense, capping off a 19-point unanswered scoring run for the South Africans.

Disciplinary Setback in the Semifinal Rematch

The momentum from their historic win was cut short later on Saturday during a ninth-place semifinal rematch against the same British opponents. The complexion of the game changed almost immediately when Lerato Makua was issued a red card in the first half. Forced to play with only six players for 10 minutes, the South Africans faced an uphill battle against a side looking for redemption. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Bok Women demonstrated immense resilience, fighting back from a 7-0 deficit to briefly challenge for the lead through tries from Shanidiné Bezuidenhout and Tshiremba.