The Springbok Sevens will not only have to cope with the time difference and massive home support but also blending in a raft of new players at HSBC New Zealand Sevens in Hamilton this weekend.
South Africa’s most-capped Springbok Sevens player, Branco du Preez, has retired from international sevens rugby and will leave the Blitzboks with a bouquet of career records, gold medals and highlights.
The Springbok Sevens team began their new era under head coach Sandile Ngcobo with a 21-0 victory over Uruguay on the opening day of the Hong Kong Sevens on Friday.
South Africa thumped reigning Olympic champions Fiji to win the men’s sevens gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Sunday.
Siviwe Soyizwapi will lead the South African men’s sevens team at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where Team SA will look to emulate Neil Powell’s 2014 class of gold medallists.
Seabelo Senatla is among the Vodacom United Rugby Championship stars who have been named in Team SA’s sevens squad for the Commonwealth Games in July.
The popular leg of the World Sevens Series returns to the Mother City this year, when the best men’s and women’s teams will compete at Cape Town Stadium for the first time since 2019.
Debutant Dalvon Blood scored a hat-trick as the Blitzboks demolished Japan in their Plate quarter-final of the France Sevens on Saturday.
The Blitzboks will face old rivals Samoa in the Cup quarter-finals of the Canada Sevens after a clean sweep of Pool C at BC Place on Saturday.
A 14-hour flight to Vancouver from Singapore allowed the Blitzboks to review their three consecutive losses last weekend and, according to JC Pretorius and Zain Davids, remind the players what they’re playing for.