The Blitzboks have suffered an injury setback on the eve of the new season after Tim Agaba was ruled out of the Dubai and Cape Town tournaments.

Agaba sustained an ankle injury at the Safland Sevens in Namibia last weekend and subsequent scans revealed the player needs a lengthy rehabilitation period to fully recover. Coach Neil Powell confirmed that Agaba, who played in seven tournaments last season, will not be considered for the upcoming events in December.

'It's a pity indeed, as Tim has played in every tournament since his debut in Sydney in February. He was really becoming a core member of our team and he will be missed,' said Powell.

'Luckily, the injury is not of such nature that he will be out of action for too long and we are keen to see him train with us again in a couple of weeks.'

Kwagga Smith is also battling with a quad strain and will not fully train with the team this week, but is expected to be fit for the Dubai Sevens in a fortnight.

Photo: Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images