At this weekend’s HSBC New Zealand Sevens in Hamilton, the Springbok Sevens team will not only have to contend with the time difference and a strong home crowd, but will also have to integrate a large number of new players.
These are the challenges they must face in order to maintain their position among the World Rugby Sevens Series leaders in round four of eleven events.
The Blitzboks will look to get off to a solid start on Friday night (22:10, South African time) against Canada in the tournament’s opening match, which will be followed by Pool D matchups on Saturday morning (01:38, South African time) against Spain and Argentina (04:44 SA time).
Impi Visser, one of just five Blitzbok players with more than ten tournaments of experience, is well aware of the hurdles they will face this weekend.
In addition to a few injured players, the South Africans will be without Branco du Preez, JC Pretorius, Muller du Plessis, and Sako Makata, who have all graduated to the XVs.
Visser, along with Siviwe Soyizwapi, Zain Davids, Ryan Oosthuizen, and Selvyn Davids, is part of the team’s seasoned core. “We’ve lost a few regulars, so it’s crucial that we get the young guys up to speed and on the same page as soon as possible,” he added.
It will be fascinating to see what the younger players accomplish this weekend, since they bring a different energy to the club.
“However, the 11-hour time difference makes it a difficult competition, so it’s crucial to have players that know how to tackle this tour.
“We have a few experienced players, including coach Philip Snyman, who are familiar with the time zone, and I believe it helps to have them here to guide the younger players and show them the ropes so they can more easily adjust to this new time zone.”
Baron will make his debut for the Blitzboks.
In addition to the strong support for the All Blacks Sevens, the Blitzboks can expect to confront huge contingents of fans supporting the Pacific teams, and Visser predicts that the atmosphere this weekend will be exciting.
“This is essentially the islanders’ home tournament, and the stadium will be painted blue in honor of all the Fijian fans in attendance,” he explained.
“The atmosphere will be fantastic, but it’s always difficult to play this far east, but we’re looking forward to the challenge and the weekend.”
After a difficult start to the 2023 World Series in Hong Kong, the Blitzboks gained momentum and won the Dubai tournament before narrowly missing out on a position in the Cape Town final.
Visser was obviously pleased with the team’s progress over the past two months, given their primary objective for the season is to place in the top four of the World Series and qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Paris. He stated that he was not surprised by the subsequent events in Hong Kong.
Visser stated, “As the more senior members of the team, we made a conscious decision to make changes.”
“We had some difficult meetings and candid discussions, and our mentality was to not let things slide and hold players accountable.
“We observed in Dubai and Cape Town that if off-field concerns are resolved, it will have a positive effect on the field. Even though we were unable to win at home, we still played some excellent rugby and had some wonderful moments.
“Our primary objective for the season is to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games, but we also want to win the World Series. I know we have the firepower and that it is a possibility, but we must first book our tickets to France in 2024.”
Ryan Oosthuizen has participated in 35 events and 169 matches in the World Series (185 points: 37 tries)
Impi Visser – 24 competitions and 124 matches (125 points, 25 tries)
Zain Davids has participated in 35 tournaments and played 176 matches (160 points: 32 tries)
Selvyn Davids – 28 competitions and 146 matches (576 points: 71 tries, 109 conversions, 1 penalty).
Siviwe Soyizwapi (captain) has participated in 43 tournaments and 227 matches (695 points, 139 tries).
Christie Grobbelaar – 10 competitions, 49 matches (70 points: 14 tries)
Shaun Williams – 7 competitions, 35 matches (80 points: 12 tries, 10 conversions)
Masande Mtshali — two competitions and two matches
Shilton van Wyk: 7 competitions, 40 matches (70 points, 14 tries)
Darren Adonis: 9 competitions, 39 matches (54 points: 10 tries, 2 conversions)
Dalvon Blood – 3 competitions, 16 contests (40 points: 8 tries)
Jaiden Baron – on debut
Ricardo Duartee – 2 competitions and 12 matches (53 points: 5 tries, 14 conversions)
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