Four-time Hong Kong Sevens tournament finalists, South Africa, feel they are ready for ‘Act Two’ in their 32-year wait to finally be crowned champions of rugby’s shortest code’s most iconic tournament.
The Springbok Sevens team made their official debut in 1993 at the Sevens World Cup in Hong Kong and in 1997 reached their first-ever final – losing 24-21 to Fiji at the Hong Kong Stadium.
And despite being crowned World Sevens Series champions four times (2008/09, 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2021) the missing jewel in their crown has remained the Hong Kong title.
But as the famous tournament gears up for this weekend’s debut at the brand-new venue of Kai Tak Stadium, Blitzbok coach Philip Snyman says there is a calm belief amongst players and management that they can finally break their duck.
Hong Kong creates legends
I don’t know if there is something different about the air in Hong Kong. I think it has got something to do with the tradition of the Hong Kong Sevens and the legends that the tournament has created in its 49-year history.
It has been a stepping stone for some of the greatest sevens players in the world and is what makes this such a special tournament to play in.
We have seen other tournaments like the Cape Town Sevens and Dubai Sevens become special editions on the SVNS Series calendar, but Hong Kong still has that special aura about it and is probably the reason why we still have not been able to win it.
No pressure on Blitzboks
Snyman and his squad are however not dwelling on past exploits as they gear up to face Uruguay and Australia in their Pool B games on Day One at Kai Tak Stadium.
For them, it is about improving on their second-place finish in last month’s Vancouver Sevens, and the Blitzbok boss says:
Everyone knows [about our misfortune in Hong Kong] and sometimes we’ll say we don’t [need to] talk about it but, as we always say, that first game of a tournament is always the most important one. You don’t focus on [being in a] final. And it is the same now where Hong Kong is just the next tournament in our bigger goal of trying to win the series.
As a team we are in a very good space and we are busy lifting our standards and there is an expectation amongst the players and management that we must do well here. I believe we are on the right track.
Breakdown battle will be key to Hong Kong success
To ensure his team gets to a third final of the season, Snyman says a lot of hard work has been done to improve their ruck speed, kickoff receipts and defence.
That [rucks] is usually where the opposition teams like to target us because they know how dangerous we can be when we get quick ball for our outside backs.
There is a lot of motivation for us to go out and play with the same attitude and put in the same effort as we did in the previous four tournaments and just be that little bit more clinical in certain aspects when we take the field here in Hong Kong. If we can get these three components right, then I know we will have a good weekend.
Blitzboks Team for Hong Kong Sevens
- Ryan Oosthuizen
- Impi Visser
- Zain Davids
- Ricardo Duarttee
- Selvyn Davids
- Dewald Human
- Siviwe Soyizwapi
- Shilton van Wyk
- Quewin Nortje
- Donovan Don
- Gino Cupido (debut)
- Zander Reynders
- Tristan Leyds
