Nine Springboks have been included in the Blitzboks training squad for the 2015-16 season.
World Cup Boks Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana and Lwazi Mvovo will be joined by Bok teammates Juan de Jongh, Warren Whiteley, Cornal Hendricks and Oupa Mohoje at a three-week training camp from Sunday in Stellenbosch, as part of Saru's new sevens strategy for Olympic year. Habana has returned to his French club side Toulon and will join the training camp towards the end of the month.
Saru also confirmed that Francois Hougaard and Ryan Kankowski had already signed contracts to play for the Springbok Sevens team this season.
Hougaard has played 35 Tests and his contract will run from 1 November until after the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Kankowski is set to join the Blitzboks at the beginning of February and will remain with the team until August 2016, when the Olympic Games will be staged in Brazil. Kankowski has already made four World Sevens Series appearances and has earned 20 Test caps.
Other 15-a-side stars Cheslin Kolbe, Ryno Benjamin, Warrick Gelant and Jaco Kriel have also been invited to join the camp.
Springbok Sevens training squad – Cecil Afrika, Tim Agaba, Ryno Benjamin, Kyle Brown, Branco du Preez, Carel du Preez, Damian de Allende, Stephan Dippenaar, Chris Dry, Juan de Jongh, Justin Geduld, Warrick Gelant, Lungelo Gosa, Bryan Habana, Cornal Hendricks, Francois Hougaard, Frankie Horne, Dewald Human, Ryan Kankowski, Werner Kok, Cheslin Kolbe, Jaco Kriel, Oupa Mohoje, Lwazi Mvovo, Sibahle Maxwane, Ruhan Nel, Sandile Ngcobo, Sphamandla Ngcobo, Dylan Sage, Seabelo Senatla, Philip Snyman, Kwagga Smith, Rosko Specman, Warren Whiteley.
Hougaard: I have to prove myself in sevens
Photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
