*Nkosi Sikilel’ iAfrica is the name of the South African national anthem and means ‘God Bless Africa’
Mike Jansen, Hong Kong (31 May 2011)
In Fabian Juries a few season ago, Springbok Sevens rugby produced a star of the world Sevens stage.
However, this past season they didn’t come bigger than Cecil Africa.
Despite fracturing his jaw shortly before the Wellington Sevens, Afrika concluded the season not only as top points scorer on the HSBC Sevens World Series circuit, but also as top try scorer.
A perfectionist when it comes to the boot, Cecil scored a total of 385 points. Tomasi Cama (NZ) ended on 299 with England’s Ben Gollings in third position with 278 points.
As far as crossing the white-wash is concerned, Afrika did it 40 times, Frank Halai (NZ) was 5 scores adrift at 35 tries while Dan Norton (ENG) scored 32 times.
Awards
In Hong Kong earlier this year, Cecil Afrika was honoured with the Lesley Williams trophy as the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens Player of the Tournament.
With the conclusion of the 2010/11 HSBC Sevens World Series in Scotland this past weekend, he was named as one of three players on the IRB’s shortlist for the Sevens Player of the Year. The winner will be announced at the IRB Awards Dinner in association with Emirates later this year.
Biography
Cecil Sebastian Afrika was born in South Africa’s city of Port Elizabeth on 3 March 1988. He matriculated at Hentie Cilliers High School in Virginia and went on to represent South Africa at Schools-level (2006).
He was part of the South African under-20 squad in the 2008 IRB Junior World Championship that reached the third place playoffs.
Afrika made his debut for the South African Sevens team during the Dubai leg of the 2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series. During the Las Vegas leg of the 2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series he was carried off the field on a stretcher after he was injured during the Plate Final match against Fiji, South Africa won 12-7.
Cecil was part of the sevens team that took Bronze at the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, India in October.
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