Hong Kong Sevens: Blitzboks handed easy draw

The Blitzboks will be out to improve on their disastrous outing at the Los Angeles Sevens when they contest the Hong Kong Sevens from 5-7 April.

The Springbok Sevens side finished a lowly 11th at the most recent stop on the 2023/24 HSBC SVNS series in Los Angeles.

It’s been a downhill slide for the Springbok Sevens side after they triumphed on home soil in Cape Town in the opening round last December.

The stop in Hong Kong will be the sixth out of eight this season.

The Blitzboks are now in seventh place in the overall standings.

There have been several changes to this season’s series, most notably only 12 competing teams, down from 16 in previous editions.

In addition, there will only be eight tournaments this season, down from 11 last season.

Also, the points awarded to teams after each tournament has changed.

The Blitzboks received a favourable draw in Pool C in Hong Kong alongside second-placed Ireland, 10th-placed Spain and 11th-ranked Samoa.

South Africa will open their campaign against Ireland on Friday, 5 April at 05:39 and will then face Spain at 08:23.

They will wrap up their pool commitments against Samoa on Saturday, 6 April at 04:16.

SPRINGBOK SEVENS SQUAD FOR HONG KONG

#1 Christie Grobbelaar – 18 tournaments, 160 points
#2 Ryan Oosthuizen – 48 tournaments, 215 points
#3 Impi Visser – 36 tournaments, 190 points
#4 Zain Davids – 46 tournaments, 205 points
#7 Ronald Brown – 16 tournaments, 377 points
#8 Selvyn Davids (captain) – 34 tournaments, 643 points
#9 Shaun Williams – 15 tournaments, 140 points
#10 Dewald Human – 23 tournaments, 253 points
#12 Shilton van Wyk – 18 tournaments, 165 points
#21 Darren Adonis – 13 tournaments, 66 points
#23 Justin Geduld – 58 tournaments, 1 119 points
#30 Quewin Nortje – 3 tournaments, 45 points
#35 Katlego Letebele – 5 tournaments, 0 points

STANDINGS

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