DUBAI // Neil Powell says South Africa's title defence at the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens will be aided by the recruitment of established players from the 15-a-side game, not hindered.
The Blitzboks won the Emirates International Trophy 12 months ago with a squad of tried and tested sevens specialists.
They went on to finish second, behind Fiji, in the overall HSBC World Sevens Series, with players who have made their names in sevens, such as Cecil Afrika and Werner Kok, Kwagga Smith, to the fore.
Since then, a number of high-profile players from the XVs game have signalled their desire to make the transition to sevens.
Celebrated Springboks such as Bryan Habana, Damian de Allende and Francois Hougaard want the chance to represent South Africa at next summer’s Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro.
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Coach Powell says their sudden keenness to play the abbreviated version has not been disruptive, but he pointed out the new players need to prove themselves.
“We prepped the guys for about a year and a half and said it would be unfair for us to keep the selection for the Olympics a closed door, only for sevens players,” Powell said.
“We need to open it up and give an opportunity to XVs guys who are interested in playing, to give them an opportunity to play on this circuit and play themselves into a place at the Olympics.
“We want to be successful as a squad, as a system, and as Springbok sevens. For us, by doing that, we need to get quality players into our system.
“If the current contracted sevens players are good enough, they will definitely be there in that squad for the Olympics.”
Hougaard and Juan de Jongh, who have 49 Test caps for the Springboks between them, are the first two XVs players to get the chance to impress, starting in Dubai on Friday.
Powell said securing Habana’s release from his club duties with Toulon in France will be more problematic. He does not expect to be able to call on him until the time of the Las Vegas leg of the circuit at the start of March.
“We see the whole season as trials for the Olympics,” Powell said. “Hopefully we will be able to get [Habana] in those tournaments and see what he is capable of.”
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Fiji, who beat South Africa to the sevens series crown, will be competing for their country’s first Olympic medal of any type in Rio next summer.
Coach Ben Ryan said the prospect of gold in Brazil is driving his players, and he has even superseded winning the Hong Kong Sevens in importance to the supporters.
“Hong Kong is still incredibly important to them,” said Ryan, the former England coach.
“That has been the Olympics to them in the past. All the team’s weaknesses over the year are forgotten if they win Hong Kong.
“That would be the same this year if we don’t end up winning the series title, but we do win the gold medal in Rio. No-one is going to care what happens next weekend in Dubai, or Cape Town, or in the series.
“Frankly, if someone told me now we will come 12th in the series, but win a gold medal in Rio, I would take that – 100 per cent. That is what we are aspiring to.”
According to Philippe Bourdarias, World Rugby’s general manager for competitions, the forthcoming season is the most important yet for the abridged format.
“Dubai represents the start of an exciting journey for World Rugby, as we get set for a massive season ahead,” Bourdarias said.
pradley@thenational.ae
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