SA and international
Blitzbok stalwart Kyle Brown set a new benchmark in Sydney last weekend‚ becoming the most capped SA Sevens player of all time when he appeared in his 69th tournament.
Brown surpassed the record he shared with Frankie Horne‚ the tough-as-teak forward, who incredibly played 68 consecutive tournaments.
Brown has not been as lucky as Horne with injuries‚ having endured two severe knee injuries in the past two seasons as well as a freak throat injury sustained in Vancouver two years ago.
Had luck been kinder‚ he might be closer to 80 tournaments now.
But at the age of 30 (Brown turns 31 on February 6)‚ the signs are there that his innings is coming to a close.
He was not in the original squad for Sydney‚ but injury to captain Philip Snyman meant he came in for the knockout stages on Sunday.
When fit‚ Brown has never been omitted from a squad.
It was an indication that coach Neil Powell is looking to the future now that his side is 19 points behind World Series leaders Fiji and the USA after four rounds of the campaign.
Defending the title they won over the past two years is almost impossible now.
Although the Blitzboks were eliminated in the quarterfinals in Sydney‚ Brown showed his fighting instincts by scoring the match-winning try in the fifth/sixth playoff against Australia‚ which kept SA in fourth on the standings.
“It never was about me becoming the most capped Blitzboks player‚” Brown‚ a former Blitzbok captain, said.
“Remember‚ Frankie played his 68 tournaments consecutively over eight seasons and that to me will always be a remarkable achievement. It took me 10 years to get to 69.
“Also‚ I have seen Springboks‚ who played in their 50th or 100th Tests‚ on the wrong side of the result‚ so I was reluctant to make too much of this.
“The team winning tournaments and playing at their best is far more important than personal milestones.
“Sport humbles you very quickly if you get ahead of yourself.
“In the ideal world I would have played with guys like Cecil [Afrika] and Philip [Snyman] next to me while we win the final. But it does not work that way.
“Coach Neil gave me the opportunity in recent months after some injuries and I can only repay that by contributing as much as I can inside the system and team.
“I have been blessed to be part of a team with so many great memories‚” Brown said.
He shared World Series glory with the Blitzboks on three occasions and won Commonwealth gold and Olympic bronze medals in Rugby Sevens.
Although the Blitzboks have not enjoyed their best start to the season, Brown is not despondent.
“There is a nice cliché out there – you win or you learn – so hopefully we can apply that in what happened with us over the last two weeks.” –