The Blitzboks are in determined need of reinforcements as they head into the final three occasions of the 2023-24 Sevens World Series after which presumably onto the Olympic Games.
It has been a poor and closely inconsistent previous few seasons for the Blitzboks and it sees them in peril of lacking out on the Olympics, with them needing to win the Final Olympic Qualification Tournament in June to achieve the showpiece occasion in France.
ALSO READ: Blitzboks coach Ngcobo – ‘We are not doing our badge or country proud’
The prime 4 groups from final season’s Sevens World Series certified routinely, which the Blitzboks didn’t handle, adopted by them blowing their second shot after they misplaced the Africa Men’s Sevens last to Kenya, resulting in them now being within the final likelihood saloon.
In this season’s World Sevens Series the Blitzboks have once more been notoriously inconsistent, successful the opening event in Dubai, earlier than ending sixth in Cape Town, fifth in Perth, ninth in Vancouver and 11th in Los Angeles.
This has left them seventh general on the 12 group log and their disastrous exhibiting within the USA over the previous weekend ought to have set off main alarm bells for SA Rugby.
They solely managed two wins, with them edging Spain 22-19 within the pool part however nonetheless ending backside of the group, after which beating Canada 28-15 within the final place playoff to simply keep away from the ignominy of ending backside of the event.
Squad depth
Blitzboks coach Sandile Ngcobo admitted after the occasion that one of their greatest challenges was the dearth of depth of their squad.
“Having a squad with good depth results in internal competition and guys really fighting hard to get and stay in the team. Our management will have to sit down and see how we can rectify that aspect of our set-up,” stated Ngcobo.
Recently there have been stories that SA Rugby is involved with sure 15s gamers to try to rope them into the ultimate few occasions of the Sevens Series and bolster the Blitzboks for the ultimate Olympic qualifier and hopefully a run on the video games in Paris.
Werner Kok (Sharks), JC Pretorius (Lions), Angelo Davids (Stormers), Stedman Gans (Bulls) and Sako Makata (Griquas) are former gamers SA Rugby are reportedly hoping to carry again into the fold.
While they’re additionally reportedly concentrating on Hacjivah Dayimani (Stormers), Edwill van der Merwe (Lions) and Yaw Penxe (Sharks) who’ve but to play SA Sevens.
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