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Cape Town - The South African Sevens team have been installed as joint-favourites for the opening leg of the 2016/17 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in Dubai.
According to SA bookmakers Sportingbet, Neil Powell's team - alongside Fiji - are on offer at 23/10 to claim honours in the tournament, starting on Friday, December 2.
New Zealand are next best at 14/5.
Dubai is the first of 10 stops in this season's Sevens calendar.
The Blitzboks have been drawn in Pool B alongside the USA, Scotland and Uganda.
The Blitzboks open their campaign against their fellow African opponents at 08:06 (SA time), followed by matches against Scotland (11:06) and the USA (17:06).
Should the Blitzboks finish in the top two positions in their pool, they face a tricky quarter-final tie against Pool C - the 'Group of Death' - which contains New Zealand, England and Samoa.
In last year's tournament in Dubai, the Blitzboks were beaten in the Cup quarter-finals by the USA, but did go on to win the Plate title.
Fiji are the defending champions.
Springbok Sevens squad for Dubai:
1. Chris Dry (52 tournaments, 360 points)
2. Philip Snyman (captain, 37, 211)
3. Dylan Sage (7, 40)
4. Kwagga Smith (24, 250)
5. Werner Kok (19, 210)
6. Kyle Brown (56, 385)
7. Branco du Preez (45, 874)
8. Rosko Specman (13, 169)
9. Justin Geduld (25, 558)
10. Cecil Afrika (45, 1 123)
11. Ruhan Nel (11, 110)
12. Seabelo Senatla (29, 785)
13. Siviwe Soyizwapi (3, 30)
