South Africa win the 2025 Rugby Africa Men's Sevens

South Africa's Blitzboks arrived in Mauritius with a mission: to assert their dominance over African sevens rugby. Mission accomplished in style. Unbeaten throughout the tournament, South Africa played fluid, powerful and tactically flawless rugby to win the Rugby Africa Men's Sevens. From the pool stage, the men in green and gold set the tone, notably beating Nigeria (17-5). In the semi-final, they saw off Zimbabwe with authority, confirming their status as favourites.

The final against Madagascar was the high point of their campaign. Facing a Malagasy side fired up by their heroic run, the Blitzboks let their experience do the talking. After an even start, they stepped up a gear in the second half, racking up tries through quick combinations and an uncompromising defence. The final score was 28-12 after an intense contest.

Madagascar the pleasant surprise

While South Africa ruled the roost without much surprise, Madagascar stole the show as the big surprise of the tournament. The Makis, backed by an enthusiastic crowd, produced a remarkable run to reach the final. They breezed past their opponents in the pool stage, but it was in the semi-final that they made history. Up against Kenya, one of the strongholds of African rugby, the Malagasy overturned a half-time deficit (5-0) to win 14-10 in a match of rare intensity.

Against the South African powerhouse, the Makis held their own early on, but eventually buckled under the pressure. Even so, their silver medal is a real achievement.

Zimbabwe take bronze

The third-place play-off produced one of the most memorable moments of the tournament. Facing Kenya, Zimbabwe showed great heart. In a tight contest, with both sides trading blows, the Cheetahs snatched the bronze medal thanks to a decisive try in the closing seconds (21-19). Kenya, despite their disappointment, remain a major force on the continent.

Beyond the podium, the classification matches showed the depth of African rugby. Uganda, the defending champions, recovered from a surprise pool defeat by Ghana to claim 5th place by beating Zambia (24-5). The Cranes, driven by their pace and aggression, showed they remain a side to be reckoned with. In the West African derby for 7th place, Nigeria got the better of Ghana (19-12), confirming their progress after a convincing win over Burkina Faso (29-12) earlier in the tournament.

Burkina Faso, for their part, put in an encouraging performance, beating Tunisia (12-10) to take 9th place. Finally, hosts Mauritius finished their tournament on a high, thrashing Côte d'Ivoire (24-0) to avoid finishing bottom.

Final standings at the Rugby Africa Men's Sevens

1. South Africa
2. Madagascar
3. Zimbabwe
4. Kenya
5. Uganda
6. Zambia
7. Nigeria
8. Ghana
9. Burkina Faso
10. Tunisia
11. Mauritius
12. Côte d'Ivoire