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Kankowski gets Blitzbokke nod

Cape Town - The Springbok Sevens team started their preparations for the Rugby World Cup Sevens at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport on Monday.

Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu has called on a number of available stalwarts in his contracted group for the global Sevens showpiece, which takes place in Moscow later this month, but also invited five players who were released by their Super Rugby franchises.

They include Springbok No 8, Ryan Kankowski and his Sharks team-mate Sibusiso Sithole, Ryno Benjamin (Toyota Cheetahs) and the Vodacom Bulls pair of Sampie Mastriet and Shaun Adendorff.

Treu also invited former Springbok Sevens sweeper Stefan Basson, now playing for Rovigo in Italy, as well as provincial players JW Bell (Steval Pumas) and Hansie Graaff (Down Touch Griffons) to complete the 21 man squad.

Junior Springboks Seabelo Senatla, Cheslin Kolbe and Justin Geduld, who are all currently playing for the South African Under-20 side in the IRB Junior World Championship in France, has also being included and if selected, will join the team in Moscow after JWC 2013.

Regular stalwarts like Frankie Horne (shoulder) and Paul Delport (knee) have being ruled out of the Moscow showpiece due to injury.

The Springbok Sevens World Cup training squad is:
Shaun Adendorff, Cecil Afrika, Stefan Basson, JW Bell, Ryno Benjamin, Kyle Brown, Stephan Dippenaar, Chris Dry, Branco du Preez, Justin Geduld, Hansie Graaff, Cornal Hendricks, Steven Hunt, Ryan Kankowski, Werner Kok, Cheslin Kolbe, Sampie Mastriet, Mark Richards, Seabelo Senatla, Sibusiso Sithole, Philip Snyman.

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