Mzwandile Stick (Gallo Images)

Johannesburg - The Springbok Sevens suffered a major blow on the eve of their departure to Adelaide for the next IRB Sevens World Series tournament in Australia on March 19-21 as Mzwandile Stick has pulled out with an injury.

The team's stand-in captain and hero of last season's successful World Series campaign, sustained a knee ligament injury on Wednesday in Stellenbosch. The experienced Stick will be sidelined for two to four weeks, forcing him out of the tournament in Adelaide as well as the annual showpiece in Hong Kong a week later.

Springbok Sevens coach, Paul Treu, has called up JW Jonker, one of the young contracted players, to replace Stick. The versatile young Free Stater can play either in the forwards or in the backline. Kyle Brown will lead the SA Sevens team for the first time in the absence of Stick.

"It's a major blow for the team," said a disappointed Treu. "I was looking to someone like Stick and also the other senior players to guide the newcomers like Sampie Mastriet and Chris Dry, who are 19 and 21-years old respectively.

"Stick is an important decision maker in the team and his leadership qualities will be missed," explained Treu.

So far this season long-term injuries have robbed the Springbok Sevens team of the services of Neil Powell, Renfred Dazel and Paul Delport - all key members of last season's World Series winning squad.

As a result, the team have struggled to compete with the likes of New Zealand, England, Samoa and Fiji and currently find themselves in seventh place on the World Series log.

The South Africans depart on Saturday for Adelaide.