Five standout performers from Cape Town SVNS

As South Africa’s men and Australia’s women lifted silverware on Day 2 of the Cape Town SVNS there were a number of top performers.

Just a week on from their exploits in Dubai, some saw their fortunes flip on their head, while others maintained a bright start to the new HSBC SVNS season.

Last week it was the likes of Jorja Miller, Brady Rush and Dietrich Roache that stole the headlines across an enthralling two days in the UAE.

Here are five standout performers from last weekend’s Cape Town SVNS…

Isabella Nasser (Australia)

Three years after she made her Australia 7s debut in Cape Town, Isabella Nasser was Player of the Match after her side beat New Zealand 26-12 in the final.

Daughter of former Wallabies wing, Brendan, the 23-year-old caused chaos on the Western Cape. It was almost frightening at times.

As one of Tim Walsh’s co-captain we got to see Nasser lead from the front as the competition’s top tackler across two days.

She also scored a handful of tries (including one in the final) and pilfered penalties that maintained Australian momentum.

So far as outlandish and self-assured solo-performances go, Nasser’s was right up there. More performances like that will go a long way to Australia winning more silverware next year.

Shilton van Wyk (South Africa)

A home crowd can often inspire players to do special things. In the case of Shilton van Wyk over the weekend that was very much the case as South Africa lifted silverware on home soil for a second year in a row.

Over the weekend the 25-year-old scored six tries and as named Player of the Match as the Blitzboks dispatched Argentina 21-19 in the final match of the weekend.

It was almost like anything that Van Wyk tried came off. His elusiveness and ability to break a tackle, all before his ingenuity to attack space, was extraordinary.

Due to the Blitzboks’ fifth-place finish in Dubai his performances in the middle east almost entirely flew under the radar.

Already it feels as though Van Wyk has emerged as the key to whatever success South Africa hope to have this term. Long may that continue.

Kelsey Teneti (New Zealand)

All weekend Kelsey Teneti was a constant thorn in the side of whoever she came up against.

The three year veteran of the Black Ferns Sevens programme maintained a strong connection with her fellow forwards Jorja Miller and Stacey Waaka.

For two days in a row we got to see Teneti bulldoze opponents in her finest solo outing on the series to date.

The only thing missing from this performance for the women in black was a winners medal. Level on points with Australia after two rounds, we can expect to see New Zealand battle it out with their oldest foes for a few more months yet.

Luciano Gonzalez (Argentina)

A week ago in Dubai damaged Argentina’s confidence. The side finished bottom of the pack. It was uncharacteristic. It was ugly.

Up steps Luciano Gonzalez. The reigning World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year was tireless in how he applied himself with each passing second he spent on the field.

You could say that the 29-year-old put a nation on his back.

Any time there was a question of Argentina, Gonzalez provided the answer. A truly world-class performance, it is abundantly clear to see why Gonzalez and Van Wyk were level on votes when RugbyPass journalists voted for their top players of the weekend.

Maddison Levi (Australia)

There are not many people to have shown the early season form of Maddison Levi and her sister, Teagan.

In Cape Town the 2024 Women’s Sevens Player of the Year was almost entirely in a league of her own as Australia shrugged off Dubai’s runners-up finish to leave Cape Town with a winner’s medal.

Perhaps the 23-year-old’s finest performance came in the semi-final against the USA.

Across the 14-minute fixture Levi managed to cross the whitewash a whopping four times.

It is almost like time gets slower for her with ball-in-hand. Her consistency is astonishing. And crucial to Australia’s World Championship aims in 2026.