Blitzbok flyers set to impress in NZ

The World Sevens Series has become synonymous with all-out action, tries galore, big hits and watching some of the premier athletes in the game trying to outrun each other – all at breath-taking speeds. Some of the fastest players in the world are out there, and when the New Zealand Sevens kicks off at FMG Stadium Waikato on Saturday, it will be no different.

This is particularly the case for the Springbok Sevens as two of the younger players in the squad are also the fastest.

Angelo Davids, who turns 21 years old on 1 June, and Muller du Plessis, who will celebrate that milestone 25 days later, boast immense pace down an athletics track, clocking 100m in 10.5 (Davids) and 10.6 (Du Plessis) seconds respectively.

Their pace is almost as serious as their re-admission into the squad for the first time in the current World Series. Davids last played in Singapore in 2019, where the Blitzboks won the tournament, with the winger scoring in the final, and Du Plessis played the last of his 10 tournaments in Paris, where he scored his 31st try, adding to a fantastic scoring strike rate.

For both, the New Zealand leg of the World Series is a great opportunity to make their mark in the squad once again. Du Plessis travelled to New Zealand in 2018 as the 13th player but had the misfortune of injuring himself in training and did not play at all, while Davids finds himself in New Zealand for the very first time.

“It is very exciting to be here in New Zealand; it is a country I have always wanted to visit and now I am here representing the Blitzboks on the rugby field. I can’t wait,” said Davids, who was a Junior Springbok last year.

Du Plessis, who also played for the Junior Boks in 2018 is equally keen to show his worth. The former Cell C Sharks age-group player has opted out of 15-man rugby for two seasons to focus on the Sevens code.