Big speed, big excitement.
The first, you can be guaranteed the Blitzboks will bring weekend. The second, well, one can only imagine they’d have no shortage of, especially given the recent returnees.
The South African Sevens rugby team will welcome back two of the fastest players in their squad when they run out at the FMG Stadium in Waikato, New Zealand, this weekend for the third leg of the 2019/20 World Sevens Series.
Young sensations Angelo Davids and Muller du Plessis, who have clock in at 10.5 and 10.6 seconds respectively over 100 metres, will feature in the squad for the first time this season.
Du Plessis travelled to New Zealand in 2018 as the 13th player but picked up an injury during training and did not play at all, while Davids finds himself in New Zealand for the first time.
“It is very exciting to be here in New Zealand, it is a country I have always wanted to visit and now I am here representing the Blitzboks and South Africa on the rugby field. I can’t wait,” said Davids, who also represented the Junior Springboks in Argentina in the World Rugby Under-20 Championship last year.
“I love playing for the Blitzboks and it is great to be back.
“I missed a chunk of it last year to play for the Junior Boks, so am very happy to be back on what is my field of dreams.
“Playing for the Blitzboks is a dream come true and I love every minute of it.”
Du Plessis also played for the Junior Boks in 2018 and chose to not play XVs for the next two seasons to concentrate on his Sevens career.
“I am very grateful to be here and be part of the team, and I am very keen to have a run in New Zealand, as I have also not played in this tournament before,” said Du Plessis.
“Two years ago, I picked up an injury and could not play, so I am hoping for a solid season and to contribute to the team that I hold so dearly.
“It is great playing for this team and the guys around me. Knowing that my team-mates are out there doing their best for me inspires me to return that favour.”
The Blitzboks top the World Series standings alongside New Zealand on 41 points, followed by France (29), Argentina and England (24 each) and Fiji (23).
@WynonaLouw
Cape Times
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