Despite falling to Australia in the Valladolid final, South Africa remains top of the World Championship standings heading into the season finale in Bordeaux.
Valladolid, Spain (01 June 2026) – The result may not have gone their way in Spain, but the Blitzboks remain firmly on course for what could become one of the greatest seasons in the team’s history.
South Africa fell 10-0 to Australia in the HSBC World Championship tournament final in Valladolid, bringing an end to an incredible run of five successive tournament victories. However, the defeat has done little to dent the Blitzboks’ position at the top of the standings heading into the season finale in Bordeaux this weekend.
Coach Philip Snyman and his charges still lead the World Championship standings on 38 points, four clear of Argentina and eight ahead of Australia, putting them in a strong position to finish the season on a high.
The Blitzboks have already enjoyed a remarkable campaign. They secured tournament victories in Cape Town, Perth, Toronto and New York to claim the World SVNS Series title earlier this year before adding a historic first-ever Hong Kong Sevens crown during the opening leg of the World Championship.
That success has already guaranteed South Africa’s place in next season’s World SVNS Series, making them the only team to have secured qualification so far.
Now attention turns to Bordeaux, where the Blitzboks have another opportunity to add silverware to an already impressive season. A strong finish could see South Africa complete a memorable double and further cement their status as one of the world’s leading sevens teams.
Perhaps most encouraging for South African fans is the resilience the team has shown under Snyman’s leadership.
One final tournament now stands between South Africa and a potentially historic end to the season. After months of success, the Blitzboks head to France knowing that the biggest prize could still be waiting for them.
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