Bok Sevens get Afrika back
ACE playmaker Cecil Afrika and debutant Werner Kok will join the Springbok Sevens squad ahead of the last tournament of the HSBC World Sevens Series at Twickenham this weekend.
Afrika has been declared fit following a knee strain and comes in for Seabelo Senatla, while winger Kok will replace Justin Geduld.
Bok Sevens coach Paul Treu welcomed the return of Afrika, who will also strengthen the squad ahead of the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow next month.
“He (Afrika) is a great player and motivates the rest of the team when he is fit and playing,” Treu said.
“With him fully recovered following his knee strain, it will also be important for us to manage him well, with an eye on the Rugby World Cup Sevens.
“He needs to get some game time under his belt and will also be important to provide guidance to the younger guys in the squad, like Werner and WJ Strydom.”
Senatla and Geduld will join the Junior Springboks’ squad in Stellenbosch to prepare for the Junior World Championship that kicks off in France later this month.
Kok was part of the Western Province team that won the Under-19 Provincial Championship in 2012.
A final call on the fitness of Paul Delport, who injured his knee in the 28-21 final victory over New Zealand at the Glasgow Sevens on Sunday, will be made once the squad had settled down in London.
Strydom made his Blitzbok debut in Glasgow and now Kok, another product of the SA Rugby Union’s sevens elite player devel- opment squad, will join him. “Werner is a very hard worker, is quick and fast and will be able to cover at centre and hooker, so I am very happy to welcome him in the squad,” Treu said.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s win in Glasgow ensured a top seed for the Twickenham tournament and they will play the US, Australia and France in Pool A.
Due to the promotion/relegation for core team status, only 12 teams will contest the Cup in London.
Pool B consists of New Zealand, Wales, Canada and Kenya and Pool C of England, Fiji, Samoa and Argentina.
The likes of Scotland, Portugal, Russia and Spain will contest the second tournament, with Hong Kong, Zimbabwe, Tonga and Georgia all aiming to become one of the final three teams to qualify as a core team for 2013/14. –