Delport names Rugby World Cup Sevens training squad
Springbok Women’s Sevens coach Paul Delport included four players with previous Rugby World Cup Sevens experience in his training squad of 13 for the 2022 showpiece, to be played in Cape Town from 9-11 September.
Nadine Roos, Mathrin Simmers, Eloise Webb and Zintle Mpupha were part of Delport’s 2018 squad in San Francisco and are in line for a return to this pinnacle event, with Simmers in line to play in her third Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Roos, Simmers, Webb, Mpupha, Ayanda Malinga, Sizophila Solontsi and Lerato Makua played for South Africa in the HSBC France Sevens tournament this year, while Nolwazi Hlabangane, Zandile Masuku and Felicia Jacobs made their international debuts at the Commonwealth Games last month.
Marlize de Bruin just returned from Chile with the squad who competed in the World Rugby Challenger Series event, meaning that all of the invited players bar one boast international sevens experience or some sort.
Springbok Women wing Simamkele Namba is the only player who has not played for the team at international level before, although she was part of Delport’s wider squad earlier this year, but was either not available due to injury or XVs commitments at the time.
Namba, Roos, Makua, Malinga, Solontzi and Mpupha will all be returning from the Springbok Women squad after their 2-0 Winter Women’s Series victory Spain.
For Delport, bringing the players all up to speed in a synchronised way will be the main focus when the team assemble for their RWC Sevens camp in Stellenbosch on Wednesday.
“They have all played sevens this year, so there will a good foundation and that is a positive,” said Delport.
“The first couple of days will be used to see how much is needed to get them on same level from a conditioning perspective and just to ease everybody into being a squad again.
“This is a very exciting group of players. Sadly, we have lost some players to injury in the lead-up to the World Cup, which was the one tournament everyone wanted to play at, and one has to feel for those players, but that is the realities of sport.
“This is a group of determined individuals and if we combine that mindset the team will give a good account of themselves.”
The invited players are: Nadine Roos, Liske Lategan, Lerato Makua, Marlize de Bruin, Nolwazi Hlabangane (all Blue Bulls), Mathrin Simmers, Eloise Webb (both Border), Ayanda Malinga (Boland), Sizophila Solontsi (Sharks), Zandile Masuku (SWD), Zintle Mpupha, Felicia Jacobs, Simamkele Namba (all Western Province).
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