Mpupha to lead frontline charge in San Francisco
Former Border women's star Zintle Mpupha will lead an exciting Springbok Sevens squad to the third edition of the Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament in San Francisco, USA, next weekend.
The group of 12 players was selected by Springbok Women's Sevens coach Paul Delport and features three other current and former Border players in Eloise Webb, Zenay Jordaan and Snenhlanhla Shozi.
Delport also included four uncapped players alongside the experienced duo of Jordaan and Mathrin Simmers for this showpiece event.
Jordaan was named in a playmaking role for the tournament to be played at AT&T Stadium, resulting in the dual-coded international to attend her third Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament, a record for a Bok Women's Sevens player, while she has also played at two Rugby World Cups in fifteens for her country.
Simmers, who represented the Bok Women's Sevens at the 2013 tournament in Moscow, will add some experience to a team laden with the best SA has to offer on the women's rugby front.
Jordaan and Simmers are the only players who have RWC Sevens experience, while the rest of the squad will make their debut at this level.
Mpupha, a former provincial cricketer, was handed the captaincy earlier this year by Delport and led the team with distinction at tournaments in Brisbane and Hong Kong, as well as the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia in April, the last competitive outing for the side.
“We are all massively excited. Zenay and Mathrin as just as keen as the other 10 players to deliver at AT&T Park and make South Africa proud, so I know effort will not be lacking,” said Mpupha. “We will bring heart and passion to the South African cause, this is such a great moment for all of us.”
Delport also drafted in some exciting prospects after a number of training camps and match practices against the Ugandan men's team and the SA Students Women’s Sevens team, the coach adding newcomers Buhle Sonomzi, Babalwa Latsha, Shozi and Kimico Manuel for the trip to the US.
Sonomzi hails from EP, where she also earned provincial colours in athletics and netball, while Shozi represented SA in soccer at age grade level.
Latsha excelled in fifteens, where she gained national colours already, while Manuel has played for South Africa at the Youth Olympics Sevens.
The Springbok Women's Sevens team is: Marithy Pienaar, Christelene Steinhobel, Buhle Sonomzi, Babalwa Latsha, Zinhle Ndawonde, Mathrin Simmers, Zenay Jordaan, Zintle Mpupha (capt), Eloise Webb, Nadine Roos, Snenhlanhla Shozi, Kimico Manuel.