Rugby

Springbok Sevens coach Neil Powell named an unchanged tournament squad for the HSBC Cape Town Sevens, which kicks off on Friday at the Cape Town Stadium.

Springbok Women’s Sevens coach Paul Delport confirmed six debutants in his tournament squad of 12 players for the inaugural women’s leg of the HSBC Cape Town Sevens, from 13-15 December at Cape Town Stadium.

The Springbok Women’s Sevens squad are grateful and honoured to be part of the HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series for the first ever event and hope to take in all the excitement, the significance and the passion of what the tournament will bring.

To keep a New Zealand team scoreless in a rugby match is almost impossible; to prevent the All Black Sevens team from scoring in a final even more so.

The way the Springboks Sevens team came together over the three days of the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens contributed to their performances and resulted in them winning the tournament, the first of the new HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

The Springbok Sevens team scored a 17-12 win over Kenya in their opening Pool D clash of the Emirates Airlines Dubai Sevens, but had to overhaul their fellow Africans to claim the win.

Springbok Sevens coach Neil Powell knows the route to the top of the podium at the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens – he has after all lifted the trophy more than once as a player, and watched his team do the same as a coach.

Zintle Mpupha will captain the Springbok Women’s Sevens team at next weekend’s HSBC Cape Town Sevens tournament, while Zenay Jordaan, South Africa’s most experienced player in the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, will pull the strings for the Imbokodo as playmaker.

The British & Irish Lions could make history on an eight-game tour of South Africa in 2021, with Warren Gatland’s side set to play in front of the largest-ever crowd for a Lions Test since the game turned professional, after the itinerary was jointly announced on Wednesday.

The Springbok Sevens squad will shift their focus to game day on Thursday at the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens after a recovery gym session upon arrival in Dubai on Sunday to get rid of any aches and pains from the 10-hour flight.