Kyle Brown will captain the Springbok Sevens team announced by the South African Sports Commission and Olympic Confederation (SASCOC) earlier today.  The team will participate as part of the greater “Team South Africa” at the Commonwealth Games in India in October.

Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu recently met with representatives from SASCOC to finalise the team that will travel to Delhi for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.  The Sevens competition takes place on 11 and 12 October.

South African Sevens skipper Kyle Brown and his proud mom Trish

Seven experienced SARU contracted players were named in the final squad of 12 while four players will be making their Sevens debut for South Africa.

New recruits

The new players in the squad are Free State’s Boom Prinsloo, who shone for Shimlas in this year’s FNB Varsity Cup, Bernardo Botha (Lions), Lubabalo Mtembu and Sibusiso Sithole (both from The Sharks).

“With the injury to Frankie Horne, we decided to bring in Boom Prinsloo, who has impressed at our training camp. The three other new players in the squad can all make it to the top in Sevens and we see this as a superb opportunity to give them necessary experience,” said Treu.

He contined: “The core of our squad is very experienced. Kyle Brown, Chase Minnaar, Renfred Dazel, Ryno Benjamin and MJ Mentz were all part of the squad that won the IRB Sevens World Series in 2008/09, while Cecil Afrika, Chris Dry and Branco du Preez all featured for us in the 2009/10 season.

Going for Gold

“We are going to India to win gold, but it won’t be easy, as most of the top nations will be there. Our first aim is to finish at the top of our pool and make it into the quarterfinals on the second day.”

South Africa, bronze medallists in 2002, head Pool B in India. Current IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens champions Wales, a resurgent Tonga team and the host nation, India, have been included in this group.

The Springbok Sevens team that will compete in the Commonwealth Games:

Boom Prinsloo (Free State), Chris Dry (SARU contracted), Kyle Brown (SARU contracted), Chase Minnaar (SARU contracted), Lubabalo Mtembu (Sharks), Cecil Africa (SARU contracted), Renfred Dazel (SARU contracted), Branco du Preez (Blue Bulls), Ryno Benjamin (SARU contracted), Sibusiso Sithole (Sharks), Bernardo Botha (Golden Lions), MJ Mentz (SARU contracted).

BlitzBokke.com wishes Kyle and the team all the best for the 2010 Commonwealth Games

SASCOC president Gideon Sam on Wednesday announced the addition of 32 more sportsmen and women for the South African team to do duty at this year’s Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India in October.

Added to the squad at the announcement at Olympic House in Johannesburg were further representatives from track and field, rugby sevens, cycling, swimming and para powerlifting.

Last month an initial Commonwealth squad of 115 names were announced, also in Johannesburg.

It’s expected that the bulk of South Africa’s medals in New Delhi will come from athletics and swimming and with Sevens rugby having being included as an Olympic code in Rio, 2016, this sporting code takes on added significance.

Sevens coach Paul Treu makes no bones about the task lying ahead in New Delhi. “We’ll be taking quite a young, inexperienced side to New Delhi and it’s going to be tough coming up against the likes of Australia and New Zealand who will be drafting in some members of the 15-man code.

“But we’re going to be working very hard from now until the Commonwealth Games because we obviously want to try and win a medal for the team.”

Treu was a player when the Sevens side won a bronze medal in Manchester in 2002 and was coaching the side in Melbourne in 2006.

“It’s still quite a unique experience for the guys when we are part of a multi-sport event but as usual we’ll be buying into the team spirit and supporting all the other codes.

“With this in mind the World Games in Taiwan was a great learning experience last year and with sevens being part of the 2016 Olympics in Rio these multi-sport events can only be good for us a team in the lead up till then.”

The Rugby Sevens contingent is:

Cecil Afrika

Ryno Benjamin

Bernardo Botha

Kyle Brown

Renfred Dazel

Branco du Preez

Christopher Dry

MJ Mentz

Chase Minnaar

Lubabalo Mtembu

Johannes Prinsloo

Sibusiso Sithole

The management team will consist of:

Manager: Sebastien Prim Coach: Paul Treu Assistant coach: Allan Temple-Jones

(Source: Sport24.co.za)

Coach Paul Treu’s ambitions to be a force to be reckoned with in India in October has been dealt a massive blow. Frankie Horne, a key member of the Springbok Sevens team, has been ruled out of the Commonwealth Games later this year because of injury.

Frankie Horne in action last season in Wellington, NZ (Pic: Wessel Oosthuizen)

Horne, who was named South Africa’s Sevens Player of the Year in 2009, broke a bone in his left hand during the Middlesex Sevens tournament, which was held in London on Saturday. He will undergo an operation tomorrow and will be out of action for approximately 12 weeks.

However, this means that the BlitzBokke strongman may be back in the side when the 2010/2011 IRB Sevens World Series kicks off in Dubai on December 3.

“Frankie played in the Middlesex tournament along with MJ Mentz, Ryno Benjamin, Marius Schoeman and Paul Delport as added Sevens specific preparation for the Commonwealth Games,” said Paul Treu.

“It’s a massive blow for our preparations for the Commonwealth Games, as Frankie is one of the most experienced members of our team and has been in good form the entire season.”

South Africa’s Sevens team for the Commonwealth Games have been finalised and submitted to the South African Rugby Union (SARU) and the South African Sports Commission and Olympic Committee (SASCOC).

The team for the Delhi, India Commonwealth Games will be announced by SASCOC on August 25.

Scotland have confirmed their participation in the Rugby Sevens event at the Commonwealth Games in October, and named their 12-man squad.

Seven of the players featured in the final leg of the 2009/10 IRB Sevens World Series in Edinburgh and six have been capped at A level for Scotland.

“We are delighted that our participation in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi has been confirmed today,” said head coach Stephen Gemmell, for whom the Commonwealth Games will be a last hurrah in Sevens.  “The Commonwealth Games is a major event on the world sporting calendar and Scottish Rugby and Scotland 7s are hugely honoured to be part of it. Our preparations will now start in earnest with a view to contributing to a successful Team Scotland in October.”

The Sevens event takes place on 11-12 October at Delhi University’s North Campus.

New Zealand travel to India as the defending champions, having won all three Commonwealth Games gold medals on offer up until now, in 1998 (Kuala Lumpur), 2002 (Manchester) and 2006 (Melbourne).

Scotland squad: M Adamson (Glasgow), A Blair (Edinburgh), D Callam (Edinburgh), S Forrest (Glasgow), C Fusaro (Glasgow), J Houston (Edinburgh), L Jones (Selkirk), S McInally (Edinburgh), S Newlands (Edinburgh), H O’Hare (Glasgow), C Shaw (Glasgow), A Turnbull (Edinburgh).

Scotland’s Sevens veteran Andrew Turnbull

The Springbok Sevens training squad is hard at work at the base in Stellenbosch.  Coach Paul Treu will announce his final team for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India on Monday 16 August while SASCOC will make an official announcement a week later.

Springboks on FaceBook posted the following pictures of the BlitzBokke traning camp in Cape Town:

The IRB recently spoke to renowned Sevens commentator Nigel Starmer-Smith (pictured below), also known as “the voice of Sevens” about the impact of the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.

I can’t wait for the Commonwealth Games. Normally we have six months after Edinburgh finishes with no Sevens, until Dubai kicks off the new Series, but this year the giant tournament in Delhi comes sooner, in October.

A year on from the Olympic decision, the Commonwealth Games couldn’t be better timed and will once again provide another spectacle in a different country for all to enjoy.

Already we’re seeing some big names come forward – All Blacks Adam Thomson, Hosea Gear and Zac Guildford and Wallaby Lachie Turner – and I’m sure many more will follow suit from the likes of England, Wales, Scotland and South Africa. Imagine seeing a Leigh Halfpenny in Delhi or a Mathew Tait back at the Commonwealth Games, four years on from his heroics in Melbourne. Even, dare I say it, a Danny Cipriani..

You look at the teams who are in it – South Africa, England, Scotland, Wales, Kenya, New Zealand, Australia and Samoa too – terrific talent guaranteed like at any World Series event but with the added spice of a gold medal to play for – and an athlete’s village to be part of.

Some of the pool draws are intriguing too, none more so that the England-Australia match-up on day one in the pools. England probably have the better pedigree in the Commonwealth Games, having won silver last time out, but it was Michael O’Connor’s young men who finished this season on fire to pip both Fiji and England to third place overall, and win their first Cup for eight years.

Out of this world

I wondered after Murrayfield’s World Series climax whether there is a better spectator spectacle at international team sport level, particularly after the latter stages of that tournament. It was out of this world.

Even though the Scots had been knocked out of the Cup, no one moved from their seats for the semi finals. The quality, the skill levels and the fitness levels have never been higher and what makes it even more remarkable is that it all came at the end of a long hard season. If that can’t captivate your imagination, what on earth will in team sport – it was superb.

The other element that one must never forget is that Sevens retains that spirit of rugby that used to be there in 15s that I now think is largely gone. Built on the fact that the teams stay together, eat together and all those things, they have respect and friendship off the field.
 
For a rivalry that couldn’t be more intensive on the field it is a wonderful combination and I think it will captivate the whole world in Delhi and become bigger by the season.

Let’s not forget, too, how populous a country India is, and rich in sporting pedigree and passion. Most of it may be channelled towards cricket, but if just a few of those Sachin Tendulkar fans watch the Sevens and like what they see, the tournament will turn yet more people onto Sevens. After all, the likes of India will never compete in 15s on a world scale, but they’ve already been part of the World Series.

I was looking at the final World Series table and thinking about what will happen when we start again in December. Looking at the top eight, who could dare predict what type of list it will be by the end of next season? Or by the time the next Commonwealth Games comes along in Glasgow in 2014.

New Zealand knew they had the chance of winning the title this year in Scotland, and we knew they would battle for it, but for once they were beaten by Australia. They were still superb, maybe up to the point when Samoa won the overall title and something psychologically hit them and went out of their game.

They will be right up there, though, competing for their fourth consecutive gold medal come October, while Samoa will want to build on that first ever IRB Sevens World Series crown.

I’ll be there commentating for TV and I can scarcely wait.

(Source: IRB)

The New Zealand Olympic Committee has named a 12-man Rugby Sevens squad for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October.

The squad has a wealth of experience featuring eight members of the 2009/10 National Sevens squad as well as All Blacks Zac Guildford, Adam Thomson, Ben Smith and Hosea Gear.

“My core national squad members have really proved themselves during the World Series and have all earned their spots in this team,” said New Zealand Sevens coach Gordon Tietjens, who has won all three of the Commonwealth Games gold medals on offer up until now, in 1998, 2002 and 2006.

“We have also been lucky enough to be able to add to that with high calibre and experienced players,” he added.

New Zealand coach Gordon Tietjens (Pic: Mike Jansen)

Zar Lawrence out

One notable ommission from the line-up is Zar Lawrence, while other World Series regulars Paul Grant, Fritz Lee and Save Tokula also miss out.

World Junior Player of the Year Julian Savea and Sevens veteran Solomon King have been named as stand-by players and will travel with the squad to Dubai on 1 October and then the 12-man Commonwealth Games team will continue on to Delhi on 6 October. All 14 players will also assemble for a two-day camp in Auckland on 23-24 August.

New Zealand Olympic Committee secretary general and Commonwealth Games head selector, Barry Maister, is delighted to name the team.

“Rugby sevens is a stand-out event at the Commonwealth Games,” he said. “Since it first featured on the Commonwealth Games schedule in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, New Zealand has come home victorious each time. I’m certainly looking forward to an exciting competition and New Zealand fans will be too.”

The Commonwealth Games will attract more than 4500 athletes from 71 countries to compete in 17 sports.

The New Zealand Sevens Commonwealth Games squad:

Toby Arnold, Kurt Baker, Tomasi Cama, DJ Forbes (captain), Hosea Gear, Zac Guildford, Tim Mikkelson, Lote Raikabula, Ben Smith, Ben Souness, Sherwin Stowers, Adam Thomson

(Source: IRB)

(This calendar will be updated as and when we receive more information.  Please check back here regularly.)

Commonwealth Games

The 2010 Commonwealth Games takes place in Delhi, India in October, 03-14 October 2010

Opening Ceremony (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium) 03 October 2010

Closing Ceremony   (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)  14 October 2010

Venue:

North Campus, Delhi University (DU)

Training Venues:

* Delhi University

* Jamia Milia Islamia

General information:

* Rugby Sevens is only for Men introduced in 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games.

* Competition Venue and seven Training Venues are in Delhi University.

* The two day competition will be held on 11 & 12 October 2010.

* Teams: 16

* Team size: 12 Athletes per team

The IRB Sevens World Series

The IRB Sevens World Series has one change for the 2010/2011 season.  The Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens reverts back to it’s original position as the fifth tournament in the Series.  You will remember that last season, the Australia occupied that position.

Dubai – 3-4 Dec (website)

South Africa – 10-11 Dec (website)

New Zealand – 4-5 Feb (website)

USA – 12-13 Feb (website)

Hong Kong – 25-27 Mar (website)

Australia – 2-3 April (website)

England – 21-22 May (website)

Scotland – 28-29 May (website)

South Africa will has been drawn the top team in Pool B of the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi, India later this year.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) together with the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has announced the pool draw for the Rugby Sevens event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India on 11-12 October.

Marking almost exactly one year since Sevens’ inclusion as an Olympic sport at the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, the tournament will be the first opportunity to witness its proven blend of high-octane action and competitive matches in a multi-sport Games environment.

Pool A

Defending Commonwealth Games Sevens Champions New Zealand are top seeds and head Pool A, where they will face opening matches against World Series regulars Scotland and Canada as well as Caribbean champions Guyana, who also competed on the World Series this season in Las Vegas.

New Zealand have won all three Rugby Sevens gold medals on offer so far – in 1998 (Kuala Lumpur), 2002 (Manchester) and 2006 (Melbourne).

Pool B

2002 bronze medalists South Africa head Pool B and face three challenging opening ties against reigning Rugby World Cup Sevens champions Wales, Tonga and the host nation, India.

Pool C

Reigning IRB Sevens World Series champions Samoa top Pool C and face matches on day one against Kenya, Uganda and Papua New Guinea.

Pool D

2006 silver medalists England head Pool D and face a mouth-watering tie against Australia. The two rugby superpowers will also face matches against the third African team in the draw, Namibia, as well as Sri Lanka.

“Having Sevens played at the Commonwealth Games plays an integral role in the ongoing development and promotion of Rugby around the world. The event features teams from Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, North America and the Caribbean and continues to attract some of the world’s top players, delivering exciting matches and attracting new fans,” said IRB President Bernard Lapasset.

“Sevens has consistently proven to be successful at the Commonwealth Games and this year we are particularly excited that the event is being held in India, where Rugby is reaching out to new, young audiences in a rapidly developing market for our sport. We are looking forward to what promises to be a memorable tournament for the global Rugby family.”

Mike Hooper, Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, added: “With a record crowd of 50,000 at the final Rugby Sevens session in Melbourne in 2006, the Rugby Sevens tournament has become one of the most sought-after attractions at the Commonwealth Games, providing an excellent spectacle for both fans and television viewers.

“The inclusion of some of the world’s best Sevens teams and star players from every corner of the world continue to broaden the Games’ global appeal even further.”

The Tournament Schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

Namaste. (I bow to you.) Shera, the mascot of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.

All Blacks Adam Thomson and Zac Guildford as well as in-form wing Hosea Gear, who scored a hat trick against England for the Maori recently, have been included in a New Zealand Sevens 22-man trial squad for the Commonwealth Games.

The All Blacks’ Hosea Gear (Pic: IRB)

Coach Gordon Tietjens has brought the wider squad together and will reduce the number to 14 next month, ahead of this year’s Games in New Delhi, India, in October.

Loose forward Thomson, who earned his stripes playing Sevens for Tietjens, and wing Guildford, who impressed for NZ’s junior ranks, were both included in the enlargened squad currently in Mount Maunganui for a training camp.

Both were omitted from the All Blacks for the upcoming Tri Nations series against South Africa and Australia, while Hurricanes and New Zealand Maori wing Gear was unable to break into the national side despite strong form.

Tietjens has also included 2009 All Blacks wing Ben Smith in his squad along with IRB Junior Player of the Year Julian Savea, who helped New Zealand win the Junior World Championship in Argentina last week.

One man to have gone the other way and forced his way into the All Blacks reckoning is former Sevens superstar Victor Vito.

Tietjens said he was pleased with the depth of the players coming into the trial camp.

New Zealand mentor Gordon Tietjens pictured at the Hong Kong Sevens (Pic: Mike Jansen)

“We have a good mix of current sevens national squad members and quality players coming in from other national teams,” he said.

Players not considered for the trial camp due to injury are Sean Maitland (shoulder), Tim Nanai-Williams (hamstring), Lelia Masaga (knee), Kendrick Lynn (groin), Jared Payne (ankle) and Scott Waldrom (hand).

Under Tietjens, New Zealand have won all three of the Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens golds on offer – in 1998, 2002 and 2006 – but face a tough test this year against the likes of IRB Sevens World Series champions Samoa, third-placed side Australia, England, South Africa, Wales and Kenya.

New Zealand Commonwealth Games sevens trial squad:

Toby Arnold (Bay of Plenty), Kurt Baker (Taranaki), Beauden Barrett (Taranaki), Tomasi Cama (Manawatu), Edwin Cocker (Auckland), DJ Forbes (Counties-Manukau), Robert Fruean (Canterbury), Hosea Gear (Wellington), Zac Guildford (Hawke’s Bay), Jason Hona (Bay of Plenty), Solomon King (Bay of Plenty), Zar Lawrence (Bay of Plenty), Fritz Lee (Counties-Manukau), Brendon Leonard (Waikato), Tim Mikkelson (Waikato), Lote Raikabula (Manawatu), Julian Savea (Welllington), Ben Smith (Otago), Ben Souness (Taranaki), Sherwin Stowers (Counties-Manukau), Adam Thomson (Otago), Save Tokula (Waikato).

(Story: irb.com)