Excited Blitzboks Prepared for Homecoming at SVNS Cape Town Tournament
Ready for some high-energy action, sports enthusiasts? The Blitzboks, South Africa's Olympic bronze medalists in rugby sevens, are all fired up and raring to shine when they take the field at SVNS Cape Town at DHL Stadium on 7-8 December. Quintin van Jaarsveld delves into the excitement.
Last season, the Blitzboks suffered a dismal rotation in the SVNS series, slipping to a seventh-place finish and missing out on automatic qualification for the Olympic Games. But midway through the series, Philip Snyman replaced Sandile Ngcobo as head coach and galvanized the group, leading them to victory in the Repechage tournament in Monaco in July. Their triumph secured their slot at the Paris Olympics, where they exceeded expectations by bagging bronze.
Now, Snyman's troops aim to return South Africa's former sevens dominance in the SVNS series, welcoming an even bigger, louder homecoming party than usual in their first tournament on home soil since their Olympic heroics. SVNS Cape Town offers an unparalleled sports entertainment experience, blending the best of both worlds over two thrilling days, all backed by the majestic Table Mountain.
The event takes place in one of seven iconic destinations in the SVNS series, with each event showcasing the top 12 men's and women's teams. The action culminates in a Grand Final weekend on 3-4 May in Las Vegas, where the top eight teams compete for the series championship. Teams ranked ninth to 12th will battle it out against the top four teams from the Challenger Series in a relegation play-off to secure their place in the following year's edition. Newcomers this year include Kenya and Uruguay men's teams and the China women's team.
The men's teams are South Africa, Argentina, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, France (defending champions and Olympic gold medalists), Fiji, Great Britain, USA, Spain, Uruguay, and Kenya. On the women's side, teams include defending champions Australia, New Zealand (Olympic champions), France, USA, Canada, Fiji, Ireland, Great Britain, Japan, Brazil, Spain, and China.
Impi Visser and Zain Davids serve as co-captains for the hosts, who aim to end their home tournament drought. The last time they claimed victory was in 2015, besting Argentina 19-14 for their third South African title in a row and fourth overall. Since then, they've finished as runners-up in 2016 and 2019, won bronze in 2017 and 2018, and settled for the Bowl in 2022 due to a disappointing tournament run last year, where they ended in a lowly 11th place.
Given their Olympic triumph, player experience, and the extra motivation from the crowd, it's worth backing the Blitzboks to turn their fortunes around in the upcoming tournament.Quintin Van Jaarsveld is a seasoned sports journalist with over 15 years of experience, having won multiple awards for his work. His journalistic journey includes stints as sports editor, deputy editor, editor, and senior staff writer at various esteemed publications.
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- Nextbetting tipsBlitzbokEditor's ChoiceSouth AfricaQuintin van JaarsveldQuintin Van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. He's a freelance sports writer, renowned for his extensive experience and exceptional talent in the field.
- Quintin Van Jaarsveld, a seasoned sports journalist and former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year, offers betting tips for the upcoming SVNS Cape Town tournament.
- With the Blitzboks, South Africa's Olympic bronze medalists in rugby sevens, competing at the DHL Stadium, it's worth considering them as a strong contender for the win.
- Given the team's Olympic triumph, player experience, and the extra motivation from the home crowd, the Blitzboks could potentially break South Africa's former sevens dominance in the SVNS series.
- As the event takes place in Cape Town, sports enthusiasts looking to place a bet on the tournament might find Quintin van Jaarsveld's expert insights valuable for their betting decisions.
