The Blitzboks have only once won the Cape Town leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series and are determined to change that with their first trophy in the Mother City in seven years. DYLAN JACK reports.
STATE OF THE URC: All aboard the SA Express!
South Africa hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the Blitzboks since 1999 – the series was first hosted in the Republic at the Danie Craven Stadium, before moving on to Outeniqua Park, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and, finally settling at Cape Town Stadium.
SA has only won four home tournaments, with their best run of success between 2013 and 2015.
New Zealand have thrived in the Mother City, winning 11 tournaments that includes the most recent three years ago.
With the 2022-23 Dubai Sevens title in the bag, the Blitzboks will look for back-to-back wins, along with breaking their home hoodoo. The hosts have been drawn in a challenging Pool A, along with rivals Fiji, flaky France and consistent Canada.
WATCH: P-A-R-T-Y? Cape Town Sevens!
It’s a double-header and we’re off to #CapeTown7s now ✈️
Here are your men’s pools for the HSBC Cape Town Sevens, you won’t want to miss the action!#HSBC7s pic.twitter.com/Vl4dwhJ01f
— World Rugby 7s (@WorldRugby7s) December 3, 2022
The Blitzboks squad is set to be named on Wednesday.
Blitzboks’ record in Cape Town Sevens:
2015: Champions (beat Argentina 29-14)
2016: Runners-up (lost to England 19-17)
2017: Plate winners
2018: Plate winners
2019: Runners-up (lost to New Zealand 7-5)
Blitzboks’ Sevens Series tournament wins at home:
2008, Outeniqua: Beat New Zealand 12-7
2013, Port Elizabeth: Beat New Zealand 17-14
2014, Port Elizabeth: Beat New Zealand 26-17
2015, Cape Town: Beat Argentina 29-14
Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
