Oosthuizen shines as Blitzboks claim Perth title

The Blitzboks claimed their second title of this season’s SVNS series after a tense victory over arch-rivals Fiji in the Perth final.

South Africa backed up their win in Cape Town in December with a 21-19 win over the islanders to set right the wrongs from Singapore last week.

The performance was especially satisfying after having lost 20-14 in the pool stage on Saturday.

The Blitzboks struck first after capitalising on an early Fijian error. Tristan Leyds pounced on a loose ball and surged down the left before feeding Ryan Oosthuizen, who finished off the move for a converted try and a 7-0 lead.

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The Blitzboks doubled their advantage moments later, again punishing Fiji for a turnover. Sebastiaan Jobb showed his pace to race away and score under the posts, pushing the lead out to 14-0.

Fiji responded through Viwa Naduvalo after a sustained spell of possession, before Jeremaia Matana crossed after the half-time hooter, with Terio Veilawa adding the conversion to cut South Africa’s lead to 14-12.

Oosthuizen then produced a moment of individual brilliance, beating four defenders to score and level matters at 19-19. Dewald Human kept his composure to slot a difficult conversion, handing the Blitzboks a 21-19 lead with four minutes remaining.

From there, South Africa’s defence stood firm. Relentless pressure and disciplined tackling shut the door on Fiji’s final advances, sealing the Blitzboks’ first tournament win on Australian soil since 2017.

CHAMPIONS IN PERTH! 🏆
The #Blitzboks finish in style, beating Fiji to claim gold.
What a weekend. What a performance.#PoweredByUnity #HSBCSVNS pic.twitter.com/xJoQyuePcK

— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) February 8, 2026

Photo: Janelle St Pierre/Getty Images