The Springbok Women’s Sevens team heads to Dubai this week with qualification firmly in their sights, as they prepare for the HSBC SVNS 3 tournament at the Sevens Stadium.
Head coach Cecil Afrika has named a settled group for the standalone World Rugby Challenger Series event, acknowledging that finalising the travelling squad was not easy — but says the preparation has been thorough.
Afrika says the commitment shown by the players during their recent training camp at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport has left him confident ahead of the weekend.
“The players sacrificed a lot of the last couple of weeks, training while everyone else was seemingly having a break or a good time,” said Afrika.
“They all know what is at stake, though, and I cannot fault the effort of everyone that was involved. The 12 players selected have to go and do the job on behalf of the whole group and with the experience in the squad, I am confident we have what it takes.”
The South Africans know that reaching the final on 17 or 18 January is non-negotiable if they are to advance to SVNS 2, the next stage in their attempt to regain core status on the world sevens circuit.
Afrika, who took over the coaching reins in November last year, says the focus in Dubai will be on execution rather than outcomes.
“Our focus is on our standards and processes. We know what we need to do and by keeping our focus, how to get there.”
Continuity has been a key part of the selection strategy, with the coaching staff retaining the same squad that lifted the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens title in Kenya two months ago — a result that booked South Africa’s place at the Dubai qualifier.
The team will again be led by Nadine Roos, with several players expected to benefit from improved sevens fitness following their return from international duty and recovery from injury.
South Africa open their campaign in Pool A, where they will face Mexico, Czechia and Thailand on Saturday, while Argentina, Colombia, Poland and Samoa compete in Pool B.
Only the two finalists on Sunday will progress to the three HSBC SVNS 2 tournaments scheduled for Nairobi, Montevideo and São Paulo.
Springbok Women’s Sevens squad for Dubai:
#1 Leigh Fortuin
#2 Asisipho Plaatjies
#3 Patience Mokone
#4 Zintle Mpupha
#7 Maria Tshiremba
#9 Nadine Roos (captain)
#10 Byrhandré Dolf
#12 Liske Lategan
#14 Simamkele Namba
#15 Vianca Boer
#16 Shiniqwa Lamprecht
#23 Ayanda Malinga
