Spain stun BlitzBoks in massive Hong Kong SVNS upset
Spain has blown Pool A wide open at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, securing a dominant 31-12 victory over the BlitzBoks on the opening day of the new-look World Championship Series.
The result comes as a shock to South Africa, which dominated the SVNS 1 campaign by winning four of six events – including a golden run of three consecutive titles in Perth, Vancouver, and New York. However, the reset of the ladder for the World Championship has leveled the field, allowing sides like Spain to capitalize on the fresh start.
Spain, which finished the 2025/26 season in seventh and had lost six consecutive matches to South Africa, turned the form book on its head. After conceding over 30 points to Argentina in their opening fixture, they produced a clinical performance to dismantle the BlitzBoks.
Spain dictated terms from the whistle, starving South Africa of possession to take a 14-0 lead into the break. Tobias Sainz-Trapaga opened the scoring in the second minute, followed by a powerful effort from Eduardo Lopez.
The second half followed a similar pattern. While BlitzBoks flyer Shilton van Wyk managed to pull one back in the 10th minute, Sainz-Trapaga and Lopez both completed their doubles to push the lead to 24-7. Try-scoring machine Jeremy Trevithick added the final blow to seal a historic result.
In the pool’s other action, defending champions Argentina cruised into the quarterfinals with a 40-19 victory over Uruguay. Luciano Gonzalez remained prolific for Los Pumas, while superstar Marcos Moneta added his name to the scoresheet to signal Argentina’s intent for day two.
The current standings leave Pool A on a knife-edge. Spain sits in second place ahead of South Africa on points difference. To progress, Spain must defeat Uruguay on Saturday morning, while the BlitzBoks face a daunting “must-win” blockbuster against the high-flying Argentinians.
Scorers:
For South Africa:
Tries: Leyds, Davids
Con: Leyds
For Uruguay:
Try: Ardao
Con: Tafernaberry
For South Africa:
Tries: Van Wyk, Don
Con: Brown
For Spain:
Tries: Sainz-Trapaga 2, Lopez 2, Trevithick
Cons: Cosculluela, Ramos 2
