Springbok Women Sevens to fine-tune in Amsterdam

May 16 • General News, Sevens Rugby • 2303 Views • Comments Off on Springbok Women Sevens to fine-tune in Amsterdam

The Springbok Women Sevens team will be looking for some momentum and silverware at the Netherlands Sevens, the last leg of the inaugural IRB Women’s Sevens World Series, in Amsterdam on Friday.

The South Africans are pooled with pacesetters, Canada and England, and will also face France at the event to be played at the NCRA Stadium in the Dutch capital.

For national Springbok Women Sevens coach Denver Wannies, there is more to be gained than just possible silverware over the weekend.

“We are playing against England and Canada, who are pace setters in the series, so it will be a good test to judge where we are, but I am also keen to see our opponents in next month’s World Cup in Moscow in action. Depending on pool results, we might even end up playing them,” Wannies said.

South Africa are pooled with China, Australia and Ireland in the Moscow showpiece and could meet China and Australia in Amsterdam, pending other pool results.

Wannies was happy with the team’s preparations for the weekend.

“We only have a small squad and bar injuries to two of them, I could pick the 12 players who were best conditioned and had the form going into the tournament. Our forwards will have to play well here and with more than a month left before Moscow, we will be looking to fine-tune certain aspects of our play.”

The series also featured rounds in Dubai, Houston and Guangzhou, with the South Africans reaching the final in the opening leg and finishing eighth in the USA. They did not play in China.

South Africa are currently seventh on the series log.

•The South African’s Pool B schedule is:

10h44 vs. England

13h50 vs. Canada

17h34 vs. France

All matches will be streamed online on the official website: wsws.irb.com

The Springbok Women’s Sevens team is: Mandisa Williams (Border, captain), Nosiphiwo Goda (Border), Benele Makwazela (Western Province), Zenay Jordaan (Eastern Province), Yolanda Meiring (Blue Bulls), Lorinda Brown (Eastern Province), Natasha Hofmeester (Western Province), Shona-Leah Weston (Blue Bulls), Nomaphelo Mayongo (KwaZulu-Natal), Mathrin Simmers (South Western Districts), Phumeza Gadu (Eastern Province), Veroeshka Grain (Western Province).