It will be three years since captain Siya Kolisi and the Springboks defeated England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final in Japan in early November.
The legendary victory continues to inspire a nation, including Blitzboks captain Siviwe Soyizwapi, who will lead his team this weekend at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.
“It would be enormous. It would be fantastic for South African rugby and for the country as a whole “When asked if he wanted to emulate the Springboks, Soyizwapi said no.
“We all know what sport can do for our country, but we’re still completely focused on ourselves as a team and the performance we want to deliver this weekend.”
Neil Powell, the head coach of the Blitzboks, is leaving sevens rugby for the time being to become the director of rugby for the Sharks.
Powell has been head coach for nearly a decade, taking over in 2013 and winning three World Rugby Sevens Series (2016/17, 2017/18, 2020) and finishing runners-up for the sixth time in his nine year tenure.
He also led South Africa to gold at the Commonwealth Games last month, but Powell, according to Soyizwapi, is refusing to take the spotlight on his final World Cup Sevens appearance.
The tournament, which is a straight knockout format, begins at 08:45 on Friday, while the Springbok Women’s Sevens team plays France at 18:35 in the evening.
Because of their ranking, the Blitzboks will automatically advance to the round of 16.
Powell’s charges will face either Germany or Chile at 19:03 on the day, and Soyizwapi believes that despite the tournament’s unusual format, their gameplan and mindset will remain the same.
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