The Blitzboks finished in fourth place after being handed a 26-19 defeat by hosts Canada, while New Zealand extended their Series lead by winning the Vancouver Sevens.

After a promising win over the USA in the quarter-finals, it was ultimately a disappointing end to the weekend for the Blitzboks as they were well beaten by New Zealand in the semi-finals before losing the bronze playoff to the home side.

It was Canada’s best ever finish in their home tournament, while the South Africans could not replicate their efforts which saw them claim the Los Angeles title last weekend.

The Blitzboks have also lost ground on Sevens Series leaders New Zealand, who would go on to beat Australia 17-16 and claim the Vancouver title for the first time since 2016. After narrowing the gap between the two sides to just four points, South Africa are now 11 points behind New Zealand, with four tournaments left to play.

Due to the coronavirus, the next two tournaments will be the London and Paris Sevens on 23 May and 30 May respectively, with the Singapore and Hong Kong Sevens shifted to October, after the Olympic Games.

Photo: Trevor Hagan/Getty Images