Get Newsletter

BlitzBoks reveal World Cup training squad

SEVENS SPOTLIGHT: Springbok Sevens captain Neil Powell has named a strong 15-man squad for the Sevens World Cup to be played in San Francisco from July 20-22.

ADVERTISEMENT

The squad include the likes of Springbok Sevens captain Philip Snyman.

The veteran, who is a three-time winner of the World Rugby Sevens Series with the Blitzboks, is in line for a third consecutive Rugby World Cup Sevens appearance

Springbok Sevens coach Powell kick-started the final preparations for the American showpiece in Stellenbosch with a training camp, consisting of Snyman and 14 other players. The coach, who also played at the World Cup in 2009, will name a 12-man squad and two reserve players in the week before the team departs to San Francisco on July 14.

Snyman represented South Africa at the 2009 World Cup in Dubai and again in 2013, in Moscow, Russia. On both occasions, South Africa got eliminated in the Cup quarter-finals.

Another 2013 squad member, Branco du Preez, has also been included, but injuries have ruled out experienced players such as Chris Dry, Kyle Brown, Cecil Afrika, and Seabelo Senatla.

Dry lost his race against time to recover after injuring his knee at the Cape Town Sevens in December, while Brown (knee injury in Singapore), Afrika (hamstring in London) and Senatla (groin injury in Paris) all picked up injuries in the latter part of the World Rugby Sevens Series, where South Africa dramatically secured a consecutive World Series title.

ADVERTISEMENT

Powell lamented the loss of experienced senior players but said the emergence of a number of younger players in the squad came at the right time.

“We used 28 players during the World Series for this specific reason,” said Powell.

“With three major tournaments in one season (the Commonwealth Games was played in April), we realised that player welfare and management would be key for us to be successful in those events. That policy paid off, I believe, as we still have a very competent squad, despite the loss of a number of star players.

“The next couple of weeks will be about player management. We will have to fine-tune some aspects of our game, but I am pretty happy with the way we finished the series, playing in both finals in London and Paris and of course winning in France, despite having three players out and replaced between the two tournaments,”

ADVERTISEMENT

The Blitzboks will move base to Johannesburg next week, with a number of training sessions and warm-up matches against the Golden Lions 7s team on the agenda. They will return to Cape Town next Friday and will have a final camp in Mossel Bay from July 7-12 before departing to the USA.

BlitzBoks squad: Philip Snyman, Heino Bezuidenhout, Dylan Sage, Zain Davids, Ryan Oosthuizen, James Murphy, Werner Kok, Dewald Human, Rosko Specman, Branco du Preez, Justin Geduld, Selvyn Davids, Ruhan Nel, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Mfundo Ndhlovu.

Video Spacer

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Write A Comment