Brave World Cup performance boost for SA women rugby
The courageous effort of the South African Women's team at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai came to an end this afternoon when they lost 19-10 against Australia in the Cup semifinals.
Earlier, the Springbok Sevens lost 14-12 against Argentina in the Cup quarterfinals for men.
The SA women trailed Australia by two points at halftime (7-5) and took the lead after the break, but the Aussies ended much stronger and thoroughly deserved their victory.
But, despite the disappointing outcome, the SA team can hold their heads high after a splendid showing at the first RWC Sevens for women.
Saloma Booysen and Phumeza Gadu scored for SA, while the Australian tries were scored by Tricia Brown, Bo De la Cruz and Rebecca Tavo. Tobie McCann added two conversions.
Orna Prinsloo, manager of the SA women, was full of praised for her players afterwards: “We came here not knowing what to expect, because women's sevens is something new in South Africa.
“We learnt from every match and the women displayed a lot of courage. Our country can really be proud of them and they will definitely improve as a team if we can play more matches of this quality,” said Prinsloo.
The women's team arrives back in Johannesburg on Sunday evening and the men at 16h15 in Cape Town. The Springbok Sevens will hold a press conference at 17h30 at the Cape Town International Airport.
The African teams performed admirably on the last day. Zimbabwe won the Bowl Final for men when they got the better of Ireland by 17-14, while Kenya reached the Cup semi-finals where they lost against Argentina.
