Expect the unexpected. That's what Springbok Women's wing Ayanda Malinga is bracing for when they battle in the Africa Women's Sevens tournament in Ghana on Saturday, November 9, and Sunday, November 10. Telecom Asia Sport had a chance to talk to Ayanda Malinga and get her opinion ahead of the event.
The Springbok Women's Sevens squad travel to Ghana on Wednesday. They will face Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, and Tunisia in their pool on Saturday at the University of Ghana Rugby Stadium.
While sports and its brutal nature has often shown us what can happen if you channel your focus too far ahead into the future, one cannot help but acknowledge the weight that this weekend carries.
The top three teams from the Africa Women's Sevens will qualify for the Challenger Series, the second tier of international competition below the SVNS. Following that, teams in the Challenger Series compete for promotion to the first tier as a core team. It's a goal especially important for the defending champions.
Malinga, Zintle Mpupha, Nadine Roos, Felicia Jacobs, and Maria Tshiremba rejoined the Sevens squad after representing the Springbok Women in the recent WXV 2 tournament. And while Malinga held nothing back in terms of how tough it was to make the switch from Fifteens to Sevens in such a short period, she made it clear that she - as well as her team as a whole - are ready for the challenge.
The transition from Fifteens to Sevens...it has been hard because of the high intensity that we play with in Sevens, it’s not the same as Fifteens, but so far I have been coping very well. I feel like with the Africa teams you have to expect the unexpected because they come up with new things and game structures we have not played against, unlike the teams that are in the World Series. My work-ons were to catch high balls and stepping.
Malinga exclusively for Telecom Asia Sport
Renfred Dazel's team will have to fight their way back after losing their core-team status in the World Sevens Series, and the first step towards that is getting past their opposition in West Africa.
My goal for this upcoming tournament is to qualify for the Challenger Series. It is going to mean a lot to us because we are planning on requalifying for the World Series, so qualifying for the Challenger Series is one step towards our main goal. My main focus for this weekend is just to focus on my teammates and, in turn, the results will speak for itself at the end of the day.
Malinga said on the eve of their departure
When approaching a task like this one, preparing for the worst and hoping for the best is a trusted method, and Malinga seems to have cooked up the perfect dish in that regard by adding a touch of another crucial ingredient: belief.
When asked what she was most looking forward to ahead of the competition, her response was strong and to the point - "Winning the tournament."
SA Schedule:
- Game 6: South Africa vs Burkina Faso 10:50 GMT/ 7:50 EAT
- Game 12: South Africa vs Zimbabwe 13:34 GMT/ 10:34 EAT
- Game 17: South Africa vs Tunisia 16:18 GMT/ 13:18 EAT