South Africa Wins Men's Hong Kong Sevens; NZ Takes Women's

South Africa's men's rugby sevens team ended a long-standing drought by defeating defending champions Argentina 35-7 in the final of the Hong Kong Sevens on Sunday, securing their first title at the prestigious tournament during its 50th anniversary celebration. In the women's final, New Zealand extended their dominance with a 19-14 victory over Australia, claiming a fourth consecutive Hong Kong crown.

The men's triumph at Kai Tak Stadium marked a breakthrough for the Blitzboks, who entered as favorites after winning the previous three stops in the World Rugby Sevens Series. South Africa had reached the Hong Kong final four times before without success, in 1997, 2008, 2009 and 2017. Their path to victory included a 12-7 pool win over Uruguay, a 38-0 rout of Argentina and a 31-12 loss to Spain. They advanced by beating Kenya in the quarterfinals and dominating New Zealand 26-14 in the semifinals, where Tristan Leyds, Shilton van Wyk and Ryan Oosthuizen scored tries. Argentina, meanwhile, eliminated Fiji 24-17 in the quarterfinals.

The final began explosively for South Africa, with Leyds punting from deep inside his own territory just 38 seconds in, regathering the ball and racing...