Fiji Sevens Earn Bronze in Cape Town as South Africa Extends World Series Lead

The Fiji Airways men’s sevens team secured a bronze medal in Cape Town after a thrilling 26-19 victory over France in the third and fourth place playoff match. The game began with France taking an early lead through a converted try from Andy Timo, following an error by Fiji near their try line. However, Fiji quickly responded with a dazzling effort from Teri Veilawa, who leveled the score.

Fiji’s pace was evident as speedster Naduvalo crossed the line, giving them a 14-7 advantage. France fought back, with Liam Delamare scoring just before halftime, resulting in a 14-14 tie at the break. The second half saw Fiji dominate with two consecutive tries from Sevuloni Mocenacagi and Manueli Maisamoa, extending the lead to 26-14. Although France’s Simon Desert managed a late try, it fell short of overcoming Fiji’s lead.

In the championship final, South Africa defended its title by defeating Argentina 21-19 in a closely fought match. Argentina initially led 14-7 at halftime and even increased their advantage to 19-7 right after the restart. However, South Africa mounted a comeback, with debutant Nabo Soyoki scoring to narrow the deficit to 19-14. In a dramatic turn of events, Tristan Leyds scored in the final moments, and with a successful conversion, South Africa made history as the first team to win the Cape Town leg back-to-back.

Thanks to their consistent performance, South Africa now leads the HSBC World Sevens Series with 32 points. Meanwhile, Fiji’s impressive finish with two consecutive bronze medals places them second in the series standings, followed closely by New Zealand in third. This positive trajectory for Fiji suggests they are firmly in the hunt for future victories in the competition.