Five capped players are among the 13 selected for the South Africa 7s A squad, set to depart for Mauritius on Thursday to participate in the Rugby Africa Sevens Series.
The squad will be coached by Sandile Ngcobo, with assistance from SA Rugby’s High-Performance Manager, Marius Schoeman, who will also serve as team manager.
Schoeman elaborated on their participation in the tournament, noting that South Africa A will face Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Algeria in the first round. “We were asked to step in after one of the original participants withdrew, so we had to get ready on short notice,” said Schoeman.
“Despite the short notice, the players have been working with coach Sandile over the past few weeks. Although this event comes as a bit of a surprise, it provides a valuable opportunity to be tested by other international sides,” added Schoeman.
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The squad includes several new faces who impressed during the FNB Varsity Cup, earning their spot in the team. Joubert Schoeman, in particular, recently represented the SA Students Sevens at the Students Sevens World Cup.
“This is almost like a restart of our academy, which has been pivotal in our past successes on the world stage. These players will be tested, moulded, and will return stronger,” Schoeman explained.
The first leg of the Rugby Africa Sevens Series will be held this weekend, with a second tournament scheduled for the following weekend.
Pools:
A: Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Mauritius
B: Uganda, Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Cote d’Ivoire
C: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Algeria
The South Africa 7s A squad for Mauritius:
1. Jayden Nell
2. David Brits
3. James Murphy
4. Joubert Schoeman
5. Jeffwin Wesso
6. Jaiden Baron
7. Kyle Cyster
8. Rowan Malgas
9. Mpho Kubheka
10. Mfundo Ndhlovu
11. Sebastiaan Jobb
12. Siyabonga Ndlozi
13. Ntokozo Makhaza
