Share

Blitzbokke won't give up

Cape Town - It may be out of their hands, but the Blitzbokke are in no mood to throw in the towel at the London leg of the Sevens World Series on Saturday and Sunday.

Coach Neil Powell’s men currently find themselves five points behind pacific islanders Fiji in the race for the title, and the fact that they are on opposite ends of the draw means that a meeting between the nations before the tournament final is unlikely.

South Africa would need to win in London this weekend and hope that Fiji finish in fourth place or worse. It’s a long shot, but the Blitzbokke are not prepared to give up on anything just yet.

“Our team is built on a culture where we will never lie on our backs and accept defeat,” stalwart Chris Dry said ahead of Saturday’s opening fixture against France (10:00).

“We want to go out there and play like we can play, and also for the people back home to show how much their support means to us, and that we can only show on the field.”

The Blitzbokke let their World Series lead slip last weekend in Glasgow when they were bundled out of the quarter-finals at the hands of Fiji. A quarter-final between the sides in London would suit the Blitzbokke, but that is an unlikely scenario given that both SA and Fiji are expected to top their respective pools.

“I think for us it is about getting back to zero, back to our middle point and just to start again. I think after this (last) week we had a little bit of disappointment,” said Dry.

“We’ve got high standards for ourselves and we need to get back on the horse and keep working forward.”

Pool A

Fiji

Canada

Argentina

Samoa

Pool D

South Africa

France

Portugal

USA

World Series standings

Fiji - 147

South Africa - 142

New Zealand - 139

England - 117

Australia - 101

Points allocation by position in London 

1st - 22

2nd - 19

3rd - 17

4th - 15

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE