The Springbok Sevens squad will have to deal with both joy and sorrow as they prepare for the Rugby Africa Sevens Olympic Qualifier in Zimbabwe next month.
Specman returns to boost Blitzboks
One of the good news for the Blitzboks is the return of Rosko Specman, the energetic playmaker and one-cap Springbok speedster, who has opted to re-start his sevens career on a short-term deal with the team. Specman, who was part of the bronze medal-winning squad at the 2016 Rio Olympics, will bring his experience, energy and game-breaking abilities to the group.
Springbok Sevens coach Sandile Ngcobo welcomed Specman’s comeback, saying that he is a senior player who commands respect from his teammates and is keen to contribute to the system again. Ngcobo said that Specman’s abilities are well-known and that he will add value to the squad, especially in light of losing another experienced player due to injury.
Soyizwapi sidelined with serious knee injury
The bad news for the Blitzboks is that their captain and wing Siviwe Soyizwapi will miss the trip to Zimbabwe and the forthcoming HSBC SVNS series due to a serious knee injury. Soyizwapi, who has scored 112 tries in 159 matches on the world stage, injured his knee in a warm-up match last weekend and has undergone an operation already. He now faces a long road of recovery that will hopefully see him back on the field in nine months’ time.
Ngcobo expressed his sadness for Soyizwapi, saying that he is an incredible leader in the team and that his record speaks for itself. He said that injuries are part and parcel of rugby and that the focus for Soyizwapi will be to make sure his recovery and rehab goes as smoothly as possible.
Blitzboks ready for Zimbabwe challenge
Ngcobo said that the preparations for the Zimbabwe tournament have been going well and that the players are focused on the massive task ahead. He said that he will have to trim his current training squad to 14 players on Friday, as the fine-tuning for the Rugby Africa Sevens Olympic Qualifier will start in earnest next week.
He said that it is a nice headache to have when he needs to select the final group, but it was up to the players to show why they should be in it. He said that he analysed the warm-up games properly and that he is happy with the effort from those who will be in the final group.
The Rugby Africa tournament in Harare will take place on 16 and 17 September. The winner will qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, while the runner-up and third-placed teams will have another chance at a global repechage tournament next year.
