Cape Town — Sevens legend Cecil Afrika will inject some experience into the Blitzboks squad for the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022, which takes place in Cape Town from September 9–11.
The flyhalf holds the all-time record for the most points scored in the green and gold in the World Series (1 462 points). Afrika was recalled to the 14-man squad because of Dewald Human’s injury.
Afrika, 34, last featured for South Africa in the World Series in 2020.
In recent months, Afrika has been playing for Monaco in the professional Extenso Super Sevens league in France.
Ten of the players who formed part of the gold-winning squad at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham have been included in the World Cup group. Only Human and Zain Davids (also injured) are absent.
Both picked up their injuries during the ultimate leg of the current Series in Los Angeles, where the defending champions lost their grip on the title, with Australia claiming their first Series crown.
Davids, Ronald Brown, Christie Grobbelaar and Mfundo Ndhlovu all make a timely return to the squad, having missed the tournament in Los Angeles because of injuries sustained at the Commonwealth Games in July.
Powell was happy to welcome back Afrika, who missed out on the 2018 spectacle in San Francisco because of injury after making his RWC Sevens debut in Moscow in 2014.
“We had been in regular contact since Cecil left Springbok Sevens to first play professional rugby in the US and now France, so I am up to date with his fitness and form,” Powell, who will end his stellar Sevens coaching career with the showpiece, said.
“The injuries to Justin Geduld earlier this year and now Dewald Human left us short of options at flyhalf and Cecil not only provides massive experience, but big-match temperament as well. He will also take some of the workload away from Selvyn Davids, who is coming back from injury.”
The final 12 players will be confirmed next Wednesday, before the 48-hour deadline to the tournament.
The Springbok Sevens squad (with RWC & World Series stats):
Cecil Afrika – 2013 RWC; 66 World Series tournaments (1 462 points)
Ronald Brown – RWC debut; 8 World Series tournaments (285 points)
Angelo Davids – RWC debut; 9 World Series tournaments (160 points)
Selvyn Davids – 2018 RWC; 27 World Series tournaments (564 points)
Muller du Plessis – RWC debut; 20 World Series tournaments (315 points)
Christie Grobbelaar – RWC debut; 8 World Series tournaments (70 points)
Sako Makata – RWC debut; 16 World Series tournaments (60 points)
James Murphy – RWC debut; 10 World Series tournaments (45 points)
Mfundo Ndhlovu – RWC debut; 10 World Series tournaments (60 points)
Ryan Oosthuizen – 2018 RWC; 32 World Series tournaments (160 points)
JC Pretorius – RWC debut; 20 World Series tournaments (225 points)
Siviwe Soyizwapi (captain) – 2018 RWC; 40 World Series tournaments (670 points)
Impi Visser – RWC debut; 21 World Series tournaments (115 points)
Shaun Williams – RWC debut; 7 World Series tournaments (80 points)