Familiar faces return to Springbok Women's Sevens squad for Hong Kong

Both players featured for the Isuzu Bulls Daisies and Sanlam Boland Dames in last weekend's Pick n Pay Women's Super League 1 final in Pretoria, return to the shorter version of the game as SA coach Cecil Afrika named his squad for the trip to the Far East.

Mpupha played for the national squad this season at the HSBC SVNS 3 tournament in Dubai in January, while Webb last represented the team in 2024, playing her ninth tournament in the season-ending event in Madrid.

Both also represented the Springbok Women at the Women's Rugby World Cup in England last year.

Apart from the two experienced players, Afrika also called on the uncapped duo of Jané Mulder and Owami Mohuli for the trip to Hong Kong.

Former SA Under-20 winger Mulder trained with the squad last year and was included in the Springbok Women's Sevens 'A'-side that played in the International Invitational tournament of the Emirates Dubai Sevens in November.

Mohuli, who plays on the wing for the Free State Women, impressed during the recent Pick n Pay WSL and scored three tries in seven outings for the Bloemfontein side.

Shanidine Bezuidenhout and Maceala Samboya, who helped the team qualify for the World Championship in the HSBC SVNS 2 series, will also get their first taste of sevens rugby on the biggest stage.

The inclusion of the two veterans and two uncapped players is due to a rash of injuries that the squad suffered at the back end of their HSBC SVNS 2 campaign.

The medical reports compiled after the final tournament in Brazil did not make for good reading with five players sidelined, including Nadine Roos, the leading points scorer and team captain, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

Roos is joined on the sidelines by Liske Lategan and Shannon-Lee Windvogel, both of whom were operated on last Monday, while Simamkele Namba was ruled out due to a hamstring strain and Patience Mokone with a knee injury.

Furthermore, Vianca Boer, Rights Mkhari and Kayla Swarts are all in the final stages of their rehabilitation, but not yet available for selection, with Leigh Fortuin and Kemisetso Baloyi are scheduled to be back for the latter part of the season.

South Africa have been drawn in Pool B and will face Australia, Canada and Great Britain. New Zealand, Fiji, Japan and Brazil contest Pool A, while USA, France, Spain and Argentina are in Pool C.

The squad depart for Hong Kong on Sunday and according to Mpupha, the most experienced player in the squad, they are ready to make another step up.

"We wanted to be in this position, to be where we can qualify as a core team again," said Mpupha.

"It is a pity about the injuries as those players would all have loved to be part of the final phase, so we are also representing them next weekend.

"For me, having been in this situation a couple of times now, the message to the younger group would be to keep enjoying what we are doing, playing a sport we love and representing our country while doing so. Coach Cecil (Afrika) has a good plan for us and if we execute well, we will be able to surprise a few teams over there."

Springbok Women's Sevens pool schedule

Friday, 17 April
06:25 Australia
09:12 Canada

Saturday, 18 April
05:04 Great Britain

Springbok Women's Sevens squad

Asisipho Plaatjies, Zintle Mpupha, Maria Tshiremba, Byrhandre Dolf, Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Shanidine Bezuidenhout, Catha Jacobs, Jané Mulder, Owami Mohuli, Ayanda Malinga, Lerato Makua, Maceala Samboya, Eloise Webb.