With the Cape Town Rugby World Cup Sevens looming, we line up Blitzbok superstars, past and present, for you to decide who is South Africa’s greatest Blitzbok.
A hard-hitting, fleet-footed stalwart of South African sevens rugby, Branco du Preez might just be the perfect sevens player. The most capped Blitzbok of all time, with 417 caps under his belt, has seen and done it all.
Du Preez has crossed the whitewash 100 times and sits on an incredible 1,434 points, just 28 behind the Blitzboks’ all-time top- scorer, Cecil Afrika.
Du Preez also tops the list for most conversions by a Blitzbok with an incredible 464 successful kicks.
One might think his diminutive stature makes for an easy run-over but, make no mistake, Du Preez has impressive stopping power for his size.
Case in point, this huge hit on Canada’s 120kg Adam Zaruba:
Powell: Goodbyes can wait until after World Cup
With over 1,400 points to his name, he’s no stranger to the tryline either:
A @Blitzboks points-scoring machine
Happy Birthday Branco du Preez! ?? pic.twitter.com/dJafaZcoj4
— Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) May 8, 2021
Now, introducing his opponent and current Bok backline coach, Mzwandile Stick.
Stick, a then rapid 24-year-old playmaker, led the SA Sevens team to their first World Rugby Sevens Series championship in May 2009 after competing in five of eight finals and winning three tournaments.
Watch: Slipstreaming the Blitzboks
A few months after lifting the trophy in Edinburgh, the Blitzbok found himself in a new team settling as a member of the Southern Kings that was preparing to play the British & Irish Lions in their sixth match of the 2009 tour.
Stick occupies seventh spot on the list of most SA Sevens appearances with 170 caps, sixth on the Blitzboks all-time scorers list with 855 points, and 12th on the list for most tries in team history after crossing the whitewash 86 times.
Stick doesn’t have highest volume but he averaged more than five points per match, almost 50% more than Du Preez per match. However, there is a lot to be said about longevity and consistency when weighing up the stats.
Also prolific with the boot, Stick sits fourth on the list for all-time Blitzbok conversions with 208 successful kicks.
Stick’s epic kick-and-chase try vs Wales 7s in 2009:
READ: Family fuels Blitzboks’ World Cup charge
Who was the better Blitzbok?
Photo: Twitter/@Blitzboks, @SuperSportTV
