By Lucky Vince Pienaar
The Blitzboks have a big job to do this weekend in Perth, Australia, when they come up against the world’s best in the third leg of the HSBC Sevens tournament — but this year, there is a much larger prize at stake.
There can be nothing bigger in Sevens rugby than winning a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Paris in August this year.
But getting there is going to be the toughest challenge the Blitzboks have faced in many years.
The first four teams in the HSBC Sevens rankings qualify automatically, and that should have been easy for the Blitzboks. Except they managed to get everything wrong, tumbling from number one to number seven in the rankings.
This meant South Africa had to play in the Rugby Africa Sevens Olympic Qualifier in Harare, Zimbabwe in September. A little embarrassing but not a train smash.
Their toughest opponents were Kenya and they couldn’t lose to Kenya, could they? Well, yes, they could and they did. They lost 17-12 to the fired-up Kenyans leaving the Blitzboks teetering on the brink of disaster — which is where they find themselves now.
They have one final chance to keep South Africa in the hunt for a precious gold medal at the Olympics.
They play in the World Rugby Final Olympic “Last Chance” Tournament in Monte Carlo in June.
It’s a 12-team competition with only one goal. The winner wins the “last chance” prize and sneaks into the Olympics via the backdoor. But there will be only one winner and 11 losers. There is no second prize.
South Africa should win almost all their matches without breaking into a sweat. Almost? ’Fraid, so. Teams like Brazil, Canada, Chile, and China, shouldn’t be a problem for the Blitzboks. (This is a tournament for losers, after all.) But there is one stumbling block.
Britain will be desperate to go to the Olympics — and they may just be peaking at exactly the right time.
It’s a mystery why the top brass of SA Rugby (and that includes director of rugby Rassie Erasmus) don’t seem to take the Olympics seriously. You would think that Olympic gold would get them at least a little excited. But if they are excited, there is nothing to indicate that.
This weekend in Perth, the Blitzboks have an easy draw, except they have proven that they can lose any match. Keep a close watch. Are they a team getting ready to win a gold medal? You decide.
The pool matches can be viewed on DStv channel 211
Blitzboks vs Canada Friday 6.44 am
Blitzboks vs Espana Friday 12.22 pm
Blitzboks vs Argentina Saturday 6.38 am
The final playoffs start at 5.08 am on Sunday and the final is at 11.53 am.
Pictured above: Ricky Duarttee of the South Africa national rugby Sevens team.
Image source: Ricky Duarttee Instagram
