The Cape Town SVNS 2024 takes place at DHL Stadium from 7-8 December 2024 and is the second leg of the new 2024-2025 SVNS season. We look at the team’s pools which have a new harsh format as well as all of the festivities planned for the fans on the South African leg.
Updated 6 December 2024.
Captains of the 24 SVNS rugby sevens teams gathered on a rooftop in view of the iconic Table Mountain in Cape Town in the week leading up to the tournament.
City of Cape Town Mayor, Mr Geordin Hill-Lewis said, “We are ready to welcome the world to the Cape Town leg of the HSBC SVNS series, which has been voted best live event in South Africa two years in a row.”
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer added, “This event celebrates South Africa’s festive spirit. The games, the lively parties, and the colourful costumes are a whole vibe not to be missed. It’s also supporters’ only opportunity to see our very own Olympic medallists, the Blitzboks, in action on their home turf, while they will get to experience the unforgettable festival vibe unique to this weekend-long event.”
According to scrumqueens.com – the 10,000th women’s sevens will be played this weekend too!
SVNS Pools – Cape Town SVNS 2024
The pools for Cape Town were confirmed following the Emirates Dubai 7s and there has been a change to the format. The teams were split into four pools of three teams, and the four winners of the pools will contest the semi-finals on Sunday – so no Cup quarterfinals.
It will also mean that the pool runners-up head to the “Plate” semifinals (5-8th rankings) and the bottom-placed teams of each pool play the “Challenge” semifinals (9-12th ranking).
The pools for Cape Town were allocated based on rankings at the end of the Dubai tournament. World Rugby said that “the new format is based on player welfare considerations and has been introduced following consultation with teams and other stakeholders. It will be implemented for the second rounds of ‘back-to-back’ events, in Cape Town and Singapore, which are played on the weekends immediately following the events in Dubai and Hong Kong respectively.”
We said previously that we were not sure why World Rugby keeps tinkering with changes as it only adds confusion to the fans and media if things change all of the time.
They added that this would allow teams an extra day of recovery and preparation following the previous weekend’s event and subsequent travel, which is understandable, but the inconsistency of the formats will only lead to further fan confusion in our opinion.
Women’s Pools – Cape Town 7s 2024
Pool A
- Australia
- Canada
- Brazil
Mackenzie Davis was named as a debutant for the Cape Town leg after Dubai, with the side looking to continue the strong start to the season. Madi Levi, with her record-breaking 15 tries at the Emirates Stadium and player of the final Charlotte Caslick, will be key once again for the log leaders.
Australia women’s captain Isabella Nasser said: “We are super confident coming into Cape Town off the back of victory in Dubai where we performed really well but we also have lots of work-ons too so we’re really excited to keep the momentum going in to Cape Town and hopefully perform again. We love soaking in the energy in Cape Town and putting it back out on the field, so we try to give back to the crowd just as they give to us. For many of our girls it’s one of their favourite tournaments on the tour.”
Pool B
- New Zealand
- Japan
- China
Dubai runners-up and Olympic gold medalists New Zealand have both Asian teams, Japan and China in Pool B and the Asian top two sides face each other in the third match of the day on Saturday which will be very much like a final for both. The head-t0-head is two wins a piece at this level.
Sakura Sevens Captain Mei Otani said of Dubai, “We focussed on the theme of starting fresh and were able to secure some important wins, ultimately achieving our goal of reaching the top 8. However, the gap to the top 4 is still significant. To close that gap, we need to improve the precision of each play and ensure that everyone moves in the same shared understanding in crucial moments”
Sakura Sevens Head Coach Yuka Kanematsu added, “Regardless of the outcomes of matches, we gained valuable lessons from each and every game, lessons that only a World Series can provide.”
For the Japan Sakura 7s in Cape Town, #10 Yumeno Sakoda drops out of the squad and #9 Raichelmiyo Bativakalolo comes into the side as the only change.
For China – they have made three changes for Cape Town from the squad that played in Dubai. Hu Yu #12, Wang Xuemin #36, and Ge Chenjie #26 are rotated out and coming into the side are; Liao Jiuli #10, Su Qi #18 (who played at Paris 2024 Olympics), and Le Zhang #35.
For whatever reason, they still have not called up some of the experienced players that helped them reach this stage – including their top try scorer Liu Xiaoqian, while players such as Chen Keyi, Yang Feifei and a handful of other double Olympians who won them the Challenger Series have yet to be selected.
Captain Yan Meiling (who told us this could be her final series) said the Chinese have developed good squad depth, and when asked how she feels the level of competition is to get into the squad, Meiling commented, “The young players are not as experienced at this level and this is their opportunity to get as good as those players back home.”
Pool C
- France
- Ireland
- Spain
France started last weekend with a surprise loss to Spain but bounced back to finish 3rd in Dubai. This week sees another debutant as Rose-Marie Fiafialoto is selected.
Pool D
- Great Britain
- USA
- Fiji
Men’s Pools – Cape Town 7s 2024
Pool A
- Fiji
- Great Britain
- Uruguay
Pool B
- Spain
- Australia
- Kenya
The Australian men announced on the eve of the tournament that Jayden Blake has been called into the squad for HSBC SVNS Cape Town for a potential debut after Nathan Lawson returned to Australia for personal reasons.
Pool C
- South Africa
- Argentina
- Ireland
South Africa will be without Ryan Oosthuizen, who sustained a concussion in Dubai and was ruled out of the HSBC SVNS Cape Town.
Blitzbok Donavan Don said following the disappointment in Dubai, “Cape Town will be something else, as I will also make my debut here if selected. We are disappointed with our placement in Dubai, but I know we can improve this weekend. The time spent together on tour was great for us as a squad and we bonded nicely. We will be playing for each other this weekend and such for the country as well.”
Of the new pool format, he added, “Teams can’t afford to lose, but that will only motivate us even more. We know that we are good enough to compete against any team, the belief is there. The challenge is to bring it all together this weekend and we will be up for that.”
The Blitzboks confirmed the squad in Cape Town would see the return of two-time World Series winner and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Mfundo Ndhlovu, and uncapped Zander Reynders is in line to become Blitzbok #196.
Mfundo Ndhlovu, Zander Reynders (both SA) and Tony Omondi (Kenya) were all playing for the Shogun team what won the Dubai 7s International Invitational tournament for the 7th time (in total 4 players were invited to train with the Blitzboks this week).
Pool D
- New Zealand
- France
- USA
NZ confirmed that both Joe Webber and Andrew Knewstubb were ruled out from injuries sustained in Dubai and were replaced by potential debutantes Fletcher Carpenter and Rob Rush.
France will hand out debuts to two more players in Cape Town, with Simon Desert and Joe Quere Karaba both selected for the first time.
The fixtures and results will be available here.
Fan Entertainment – Cape Town SVNS 2024
Street Stylers
Two-time world hip-hop champions, Street Stylers who hail from the Mother City are inviting fans to dress up and join their world record based on the “Amapiano NoDNA JustRSA” dance. “Our goal is to get all our sevens fans to join our world record attempt for the largest-ever Amapiano dance-off at a rugby match,” said Street Stylers founder Blake Williams.
He added, “We are bringing the vibes to the sensational sounds of Amapiano, a genre of music that took off in the townships of South Africa and has now taken the world by storm, from Nigeria to London and New York.
10 public workshops are planned to learn the dance which will also feature Justin de Nobrega and other Cape Town influencers.
Other music acts include DJ Ready D, Neon Dreams, Tyler Icu, Gremlin, Roger Goode, and Kamo Mphela.
Cape Town Big Brunch 2024
MC and presenter Dan Nicholl, fresh from hosting the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens Long Lunch 2024 is organising and hosting alongside Springbok Schalk Burger the first edition of the Cape Town Big Brunch in support of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa. This will take place on Saturday morning from 09:30 – 12:00 at the Hamilton Rugby Club nearby to the DHL Stadium.
Nicholl said, “Inspired by the legendary Hong Kong Long Lunch before the Hong Kong Sevens, the Cape Town Big Brunch features a gourmet brunch with Anthonij Rupert bubbles and rosé and a few Bomb Squad beers. Dan and Schalk will be joined on stage by assorted rugby stars, including Corné Krige and Damian Willemse, plus a few other familiar faces, and the musical genius of Me and Mr. Green star Dan Green. Once the celebrations are done and brunch is wrapped up, it’s the shortest of strolls to the DHL Stadium, and an afternoon and evening enjoy world-class rugby at the HSBC Cape Town SVNS.”
Cape Town 7s 2024 Tickets
The two-day event tickets can be purchased here.
How To Watch The Cape Town SVNS 2024?
Fans can watch the HSBC SVNS action via local broadcaster partners or RugbyPassTV.
Rugby Sevens News 2024-2025
- Australian Women Make It 5 In a Row and Fiji Men Win First Emirates Dubai 7s Since 2016.
- Emirates Match Officials For HSBC SVNS 2024-2025 & World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025.
- HSBC SVNS 2025 Final Schedule Confirmed.
- Fans Guide To HSBC SVNS Series 2024-2025.
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