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DOUBLE TROUBLE Mathrin Simmers and Sizophila Solontsi will share the responsibility of leading the Imbokodo. 10
IOL Sport has delivered a comprehensive guide to the tournament.
Pictures: World Rugby Photos
COVER: Timothy Alexander / African News Agency (ANA)
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WIN OR BUST!
COVER STORY CHASING GLORY South Africa is set to host the Rugby World Cup Sevens for the first time.
P3 | SEPTEMBER
RWC SEVENS FIXTURES Find out when the Blitzboks and Imbokodo will be in action at DHL Stadium.
ACTING IOL SPORT DIGIMAG EDITOR: Zaahier Adams | zaahier.adams@iol.co.za
ACTING EXECUTIVE IOL SPORT EDITOR: Thulani Mbatha | thulani.mbatha@inl.co.za 05
DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Timothy Alexander / African News Agency (ANA)
The Blitzboks have tasted success already this season. Now it’s the big one. 16
IOL SPORT LIVE EDITOR: John Goliath | john.goliath@iol.co.za
PHOTO BOOTH A collection of action pictures from previous HSBC Sevens Series tournaments. 18
The Blitzboks are looking to give coach Neil Powell the perfect send off. 22
THE LAST DANCE
HOME FIRES BURNING Nadine Roos is excited to be playing to be in front of the local supporters. 08
There is a special place in IOL Sport Digimag Editor Zaahier Adams’ heart for Sevens rugby. 06
FAN CAMS Sevens fans are renowned for creating a carnival-like atmosphere inside the stadium. 14
CHASING GLORY
CONTENTS
EDITOR’S NOTE
The Rugby World Cup Sevens will be played on a knockout basis adding to the thrill and pressure factors. 20
CAMSELF
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I am sure the Rugby World Cup Sevens will produce another spectacle of colour, sounds, and excellent rugby that will have you thoroughly entertained with the Blitzboks and Imbokodu hopefully going all the way! In the true fashion of Sevens, enjoy this speed read …
Zaahier Adams | @ZaahierAdams zaahier.adams@iol.co.za
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Ever since I saw the “Pele” of Sevens, the Fijian maestro Waisale Serevi, mesmerise the crowds with his brilliant individual skills through to Jonah Lomu and Bobby Skinstad’s emergence at the Hong Kong Sevens have I been enamoured with the shorter form of the oval ball game.
EDITOR’S BLITZBOKS
The emergence of the Blitzboks into world dominators over the years has only elevated my affection. And it’s not just the Blitzboks skills and supreme stamina that has seen me follow them from George in the early years to the Cape Town Stadium, but rather their tremendous team spirit and culture that encapsulates the entire Mzansi. Sevens, though, is not just about the on-field action. It is a weekend-long party that has fans ‘Hands, touchin’ hands, reachin’ out, touchin’ me, touchin’ you…’ along with Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline.
Over the years I - along with my family - have fully immersed myself in the fancy dress culture of the Sevens which has only added to the experience. (See photos alongside!)
NOTE GET READY TO PARTY WITH THE
AND IMBOKODO!
This week South Africa, and the continent of Africa in fact, hosts the Rugby World Cup Sevens for the first time with Blitzbok skipper Siviwe Soyizwapi and Imbokodu co-captains Mathrin Simmers and Sizophila Solontsi hoping to emulate Pienaar at the DHL Stadium. There is a special place in my sporting heart for Sevens rugby.
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It’s been 27 years since South Africa welcomed the global rugby family to these shores for a Rugby World Cup. Every South African will remember the iconic 1995 tournament and the effect it had on the Rainbow Nation, especially when Springbok captain Francois Pienaar lifted the William Webb Ellis trophy with former President Nelson Mandela alongside him in his No 6 Bok jersey.
SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P6 | SEPTEMBER ‘22 PHOTO BOOTH
SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P7 | SEPTEMBER ‘22 PICTURES: WORLD RUGBY PHOTOS
The 24-team men’s competition will start with a qualification round on Day One, with the teams seeded ninth to 16th battling it out.
The top eight teams from that round will then go up against the top eight seeds, while the losing teams will compete in the Bowl competition to determine positions 17 to 24.
Hosts’ South Africa are top seeds in the men’s tournament after winning six rounds of the World Series in a row across the 20212022Sevensseason.giants and double Olympic champions Fiji, who are seeded third, reigning RWC Sevens men’s champions Australia and fifth-seeded New Zealand will all add to the competitiveness of the men’s competition.
The men’s teams qualified by finishing in the top eight at the last RWC Sevens in 2018 as well
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THERE will be no time for slow starts during the much-anticipated Rugby World Cup Sevens showpiece in Cape Town.
In the women’s division, the 16Wynona Louw All the captains of the various teams will be looking forward to a good weekend in Cape Town. - ANA Pictures team tournament will start with the round of 16 knockout matches based on seedings on the first day ofThecompetition.Blitzboks will face Germany or Chile in their opening game, while the Springbok Women’s side will be up against France in their first encounter of the showpiece.
BUST!WINOR
The first Sevens World Cup to be hosted in Africa – from September 9-12 – will feature the same knockout format that was first introduced at the 2018 spectacle in the US. This means that teams will have to win every game to have a chance of lifting the Melrose Cup.
The format for the Rugby World Cup Sevens will be played on a knockout basis
Blitzbok captain Siviwe Soyizwapi - World Rugby Photos as through regional qualification tournaments. Women’s teams qualified either via finishing in the top four at the last RWC Sevens in 2018, or through regional qualification tournaments. The seedings for both men’s and women’s competitions were based on points accrued during the World Sevens Series in 2020 and 2022, while teams who do not participate in the series were seeded using their rankings gained at World Rugby Sevens events and regional ranking positions ending in July 2022.
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bidding
to the Blitzboks after 15 years . - ANA Pictures
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Neil Powell is farewell
The team also strung together a remarkable 36-match unbeaten run, which ended in April. But after 15 years of being involved with the Blitzboks – first as a player and now as coach – the Rugby World Cup Sevens will be Powell’s swansong.
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Powell led the Blitzboks to a 36-game unbeaten run. - ANA Pics
THEDANCELAST
The Rugby World Cup Sevens could be the perfect send-off for outgoing Blitzboks coach Neil Powell. Wynona Louw UNDER Neil Powell the Blitzboks have become a juggernaut on the Sevens world stage. Since 2013, they have won three HSBC World Series titles and finished second in this year’s competition. They have also claimed two Commonwealth Games gold medals (2014 and 2022), and at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where Sevens made its Olympic debut, the Blitzboks became the first South African team to win a medal – bronze – in the code at the showpiece.
The 44-year-old is heading to Durban to take over as the Sharks director of rugby. “It’s becoming more of a reality, to be honest,” Powell said of his looming departure. “I had my moments during the Commonwealth Games (in Birmingham). It does become difficult, knowing that this will come to an end. It’s obviously a special system and there are special people, but in saying that, I am also ready for a new challenge.
“I have done what I can and gave what I could to the system. It’s time for a new challenge and a new environment, but it is tough and it does become more real as we get closer to the time.”
Powell is confident, though, that the Blitzboks will be in good hands after his “Whoeverdeparture.isgoing to take over, the team will be in good hands. They will just build on what we have already achieved in the system. It’s going to be strange to be sitting on this side of the TV, watching the Springbok Sevens play because I’ve been part of it for the last 15 years,” he said. “But I know that the guys who take over the coaching responsibilities will look after the system, both from a cultural perspective and an onfield perspective.”
He will be looking forward to spending more time with his family.
- ANA Pictures Powell has helped create a special system and culture at the Blitzboks. - BackpagePix
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The Blitzboks also finished second overall in the HSBC World Series standings after a disappointing last tournament in Los Angeles, but Powell knows his team has the quality to go all the way.
TheGreenawayBlitzbokscelebrate their Commonwealth gold medal in Birmingham. - BackpagePix SPRINGBOK Sevens coach Neil Powell believes his team’s recent Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham will inspire it at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.
“That is a positive and we need to have that same mindset come the Rugby World Cup Sevens. Much of that will depend on how we train and that will be the biggest focus of the coaching team; we need to make sure we can create that momentum in training that will be needed to do well in Cape Town.”
The Blitzboks have tasted success al ready this season. Now it’s the big one… Mike
“We showed that we can get into the right frame of mind to win stand-alone tournaments, like we showed at the Commonwealth Games,” Powell said.
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GOLDCHASING
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Powell, though, wants his team to digest what happened in Los Angeles and then focus on their preparation.“Weneedto look back before we can look towards Cape Town,” he said. “There are lessons to learn, so to just discard what happened there will not be the best thing to do,” he said. “It is more for management;ourthe players need to stay positive. The last game against Japan was much more to our standard and we will use that as a positive example of what we can do as a team to create some momentum on our way to Cape Town.
“Our consistency over the last five tournaments was not great, and it is a bit of a worry. We recovered so well to hit a high at the Commonwealth Games, but in the World Series, it became an issue. It is a worry because our consistency over long periods of time almost became a hallmark of the“Weteam.will need to plan our sessions from here on in to make sure we get the best result out of every training session,” Powell added.
SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P16 | SEPTEMBER ‘22 MEN’S FIXTURES LOSERS PLAY CHALLENGE | WINNERS PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT MATCH SCHEDULE FRIDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER 2022 KICK-OFF TIME*TEAM BTEAM A VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV DHL STADIUM, CAPE TOWN 08H4509H2910H2311H0714H3916H2315H3918H05FIJIUSAARGENTINAENGLANDHONGKENYASAMOAIRELANDKONG 09H0709H5110H4511H2915H0216H4516H0119H03SOUTHNEWAUSTRALIAFRANCEGERMANYWALESSCOTLANDCANADAZEALANDAFRICA WINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERURUGUAYTONGAUGANDAPORTUGALM1M5WINNERM3WINNERM7ZIMBABWEJAMAICAKOREACHILEWINNERM2M6WINNERM4M8
SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P17 | SEPTEMBER ‘22 WOMEN’S FIXTURES LOSERS PLAY CHALLENGE | WINNERS PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT MATCH SCHEDULE FRIDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER 2022 KICK-OFF TIME*TEAM BTEAM A VVVVVVVV DHL STADIUM, CAPE TOWN 12H5512H1113H5417H37NEWIRELANDCANADAAUSTRALIAZEALAND 18H3512H3313H1714H16FRANCEENGLANDFIJIUSA SOUTHSPAINJAPANPOLANDCOLOMBIABRASILCHINAMADAGASCARAFRICA
SPORT MAG VOL.5 | P18 | SEPTEMBER ‘22 Nadine Roos is a potent force on attack for the Imbokodo. - ANA Pictures
Roos is one of the more experienced players in a group that also features a number of newer players. And while a significant number of them have played together, there are those for whom this kind of tournament will be a whole new experience.
“I think we have to look past all the external factors and just focus on the job that needs to be done on the field, then everything else will fall into place. You just have to enjoy it, forget about the pressure of playing in front of your home crowd.“We’re telling ourselves ‘yes, the crowd is there, but we are the 12 players who are going to be on the field, and in that moment, that’s what and who we’re going to have to be, we’re going to have to stick together’. We need to block out anything that could contribute to us going onto the field stressed.”
Enjoyment is something that Springbok Women’s Sevens coach, Paul Delport, has also emphasised in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup Sevens. And having played on the World Rugby Sevens circuit for many years, he would know. “I think everybody might get kind of stressed and overwhelmed, but Paul has told us to just be ourselves and to bring our personalities out, he told us that we play our best rugby when we’re enjoying it,” Roos said.
HOME BURNINGFIRES
Springbok Women’s star Nadine Roos is looking forward to the “vibe” at DHL Stadium. Wynona Louw Will there be pressure? Sure. But the Springbok Women’s Sevens team aren’t going to be focusing on that at the Rugby World Cup Sevens at DHL Stadium. Playing in front of your home crowd of course comes with its benefits, but there’s pressure and expectation as well. But that’s not what the Sevens ladies are going to be channeling their focus on.
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It’s an opportunity they are looking forward to, something that sweeper Nadine Roos describes as“The“surreal”.vibeand the people are amazing. So I’m very excited,” Roos said after experiencing the Cape Town Sevens back in 2019.
Sizophila Solontsi has captained the team at a number of tournaments this season. - ANA Pictures
TROUBLEDOUBLE
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Mathrin Simmers and Sizophila Solontsi will share the responsibility of leading the Springbok Women at the Rugby World Cup Sevens. Wynona Louw
On his decision of naming co-captains, Delport said: “Home tournaments create a lot of extra pressure on our captains and we want to spread the workload in that regard and also to make sure we have a captain on the field all the time.
• Nadine •
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Mathrin Simmers will share the captaincy duties with Sizophila Solontsi, who captained the side at a number of tournaments this season.
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Only Simamkele Namba has not played for the team before, with a number of players who made their debuts in this year’s World Series, Commonwealth Games or Challenger Series. Full Springbok Women’s Sevens squad: Marlize de Bruin Kirsten Eastes Nolwazi Hlabangane Felicia Jacobs Lerato Makua Unathi Mali Malinga Mpupha Namba Plaatjies Mathrin Simmers Sizophila Solontsi Eloise Webb.
• Ayanda
• Simamkele
• Asisipho
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Coach Paul Delport wants a captain on the field at all times.
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The Springbok Women’s Sevens will open their campaign against France in the second-last game on Friday evening, and Delport said they are out to make the most of this opportunity.
• Zintle
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- ANA Pictures
“We are focused internally and want to make sure we play that game with clarity amongst the group,” said Delport.
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SPRINGBOK Women’s Sevens coach Paul Delport has opted for co-captains for the World Cup Sevens, which takes place from Friday to Sunday in Cape Town.Theexperienced
“Mathrin and Sizo are both experienced campaigners and leaders and will complement each other in that regard.”
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