The Springbok Sevens team came back from 19 points down to draw against France (19-19) and then scored six tries against Japan (40-12) to finish Day One of the HSBC Canada Sevens on a satisfying note at BC Place in Vancouver on Friday (Canadian time).
Nolusindiso Booi will lead a Springbok Women squad with eight potential debutants to Europe later this month – including a number of younger players and a former South African netball player – for Tests against Canada and Spain in Madrid.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber expressed his satisfaction with the strides made at their physical and rugby development camp in Cape Town and said they were ticking the desired boxes, as the second week of the camp concluded on Friday.
SA Rugby confirmed that former CEO, Rian Oberholzer, had returned to the role in an interim capacity to fill the vacancy left by the departure of Jurie Roux.
The pressure on the South African Vodacom United Rugby Championship franchises will strike a new level this weekend as the competition hits the fourth-last pool round and the race for playoff spots moves up a few notches.
Those who watched last weekend's HSBC LA Sevens would have been excused if they wondered which masked player the Springbok Sevens team had on the field, but they would probably have been more puzzled on what Blitzbok team was on display as one the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series premier participants stumbled and slid through a weekend of disappointing results.
SA Rugby Sevens ‘A’ squad members Noegh Hayward and Gurshwin Wehr will join the Springbok Sevens team in Vancouver on Wednesday and will make their HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series debuts at BC Place on the weekend at HSBC Canada Sevens.
The Springbok Women's Sevens squad showed good progress and understanding of what is needed to be successful in this year's World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series, and team coach Renfred Dazel said he was very happy with their effort.
The Springbok Sevens squad remained amongst the top four contenders of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series at the halfway stage of the competition, but failed to fire on the second day of the HSBC LA Sevens at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday.
The Springbok Sevens will face Fiji in the Cup quarter-finals of the HSBC LA Sevens later on Sunday after an eventful first day of sevens at Dignity Health Stadium in Los Angeles.