The Blitzboks are back in sevens action this weekend after an up and down start to the 2024/25 sevens series. For this weekend’s Hong Kong leg, South Africa will face Uruguay, Australia and New Zealand in a tough Pool B.
After four tournaments so far, the Blitzboks are fourth on the rankings (which you can find here), but they are level on points with third-paced Fiji, just two behind second-placed Spain and four points adrift of Argentina at the summit.
The seven series race is wide open, and so there will be everything to play for at the Hong Kong Sevens, which will be played from 28-30 March at a new venue, with the tournament moved to the 50,000-seater Kai Tak Stadium, rather than the Hong Kong Stadium in Causeway Bay.
Blitzboks fixtures and squad for their next sevens event
Pool B fixtures (SA times):
Friday 28 March
11h56: Uruguay
14h39: Australia
Saturday 29 March
07h43: New Zealand
Springbok Sevens squad for Hong Kong:
#2 Ryan Oosthuizen – 53 tournaments, 230 points (46 tries)
#3 Impi Visser (co-captain) – 43 tournaments, 220 points (44 tries)
#4 Zain Davids – 50 tournaments, 225 points (45 tries)
#5 Ricardo Duarttee – 16 tournaments, 255 points (20 tries, 76 conversions, 1 penalty goal)
#8 Selvyn Davids (co-captain) – 39 tournaments, 712 points (93 tries, 122 conversions, 1 penalty goal)
#10 Dewald Human – 29 tournaments, 298 points (26 tries, 84 conversions)
#11 Siviwe Soyizwapi – 57 tournaments, 770 points (154 tries)
#12 Shilton van Wyk – 24 tournaments, 225 points (45 tries)
#14 Quewin Nortje – 10 tournaments, 135 points (27 tries)
#15 Donavan Don – 7 tournaments, 52 points (10 tries, 1 conversion)
#20 Gino Cupido – uncapped
#21 Zander Reynders – 3 tournaments, 0 points
#24 Tristan Leyds – 8 tournaments, 110 points (14 tries, 20 conversions)
Gino Cupido will make his debut for the Springbok Sevens team after being named in the squad for the trip east, with his inclusion one of three changes from the Vancouver squad made by Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman.
“The development of our depth remains a core part of our selection policy, while we are also looking at bringing in new energy for each tournament, in this case giving David a break,” said Snyman.
“Gino is really talented and has been close to selection a couple of times, and I am really pleased for him. He worked hard over several months now. Dewald comes in for Ronald at flyhalf in a straight swop.
“Zain’s return is testimony to our medical staff’s ability to rehabilitate players. After Zain’s injury in Perth, we were worried about his comeback time, but the hard work by himself and the medical staff reaped rewards for us.”
Selected Blitzbok stats in Hong Kong:
Most points:
192 Cecil Afrika
148 Branco du Preez
106 Justin Geduld
Most tries:
22 Cecil Afrika
17 Fabian Juries
17 Seabelo Senatla
Most conversions:
44 Branco du Preez
23 Justin Geduld
WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR THIS WEEKEND?
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