Oosthuizen: Blitzboks have to rebuild reputation and trust
Ryan Oosthuizen has urged to the Blitzboks to bounce back from a disappointing season as they prepare for the HSBC SVNS series, which kicks off in Dubai early next month.
Ryan Oosthuizen has urged to the Blitzboks to bounce back from a disappointing season as they prepare for the HSBC SVNS series, which kicks off in Dubai early next month.
The Springbok Sevens suffered a heart-breaking 17-12 defeat to Kenya in the final of the Rugby Africa Olympic Games 2024 qualifying tournament in Harare on Sunday and in the process, missed a second opportunity to qualify for next year's global showpiece in Paris.
There were some familiar faces at the tournament hotel and the flight to Harare was almost like travelling to Johannesburg, but the Springbok Sevens team's journey to Zimbabwe – for the Rugby Africa Olympic Games qualifiers on Saturday and Sunday – is one they have not yet travelled before and where they will expect the unexpected.
Former Springbok wings Rosko Specman and Travis Ismaiel were both named in an experienced and multi-skilled Springbok Sevens squad that will travel to Harare on Thursday for the Rugby Africa Olympic Games qualifiers.
There will be good news for the Springbok Sevens squad when they assemble at their base in Stellenbosch on Wednesday for their final camp in the build-up to the Olympic Games qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe next month, but also some bad news for team and country.
The Springbok Sevens team shrugged off the disappointment of not making the quarter-finals at the HSBC London Sevens with two big wins on Sunday to claim ninth spot at Twickenham as the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series drew to a close.
Their quest for automatic qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games may be out of their hands, but the Springbok Sevens team will leave no stone unturned at the HSBC London Sevens this weekend as they give it one final push to book their tickets to Paris next year.
The Springbok Sevens team put in a huge effort at the HSBC France Sevens this weekend, but sadly the results did not show that, so from the perspective of Blitzbok head coach Sandile Ngcobo, it was not all doom and gloom.
There is no doubt that a core of experienced Blitzboks available for the final two legs of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series has boosted the confidence of the squad, players and management alike.
The Springbok Sevens conceded valuable ground to their opponents in the race to automatic qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games with their joint-12th placed-finish at the HSBC Singapore Sevens on Sunday, but more disappointing was the fact that they could not sustain the good effort from Hong Kong last weekend.