The Blitzboks launch their Dubai sevens title defence against Samoa on 2 December, before a clash against last season’s overall champions, New Zealand.
In the newly branded SVNS Series, the two-day Dubai tournament marks the start of the 2023-24 season, and World Rugby on Tuesday announced that South Africa, Samoa, New Zealand, and Canada have been assigned to Group A.
New Zealand, the 2022-23 series winners, pose a significant challenge, but the Blitzboks boast an impressive track record in the desert, having lifted the Dubai trophy every season since 2016, with the exception of 2018.
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Last season’s Rookie of the Year, Ricardo ‘Tricky Ricky’ Duarttee, made his Blitzbok debut in Dubai. He went on to play 52 matches in total, scoring 15 tries, 67 conversions and one penalty for an incredible 212 points.
The SVNS series sees a significant change in the team count, reduced from 16 to 12 divided into three groups. The top two from each group advance to the quarter-finals, while the next two highest-point teams proceed to knockout rounds in the revamped format.
All groups for Dubai SVNS:
A) New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Samoa.
B) Australia, Ireland, Argentina, Spain.
C) France, Fiji, Britain, USA.
SA matches and times:
vs Samoa, 8:50am
vs Canada, 12:58pm
vs New Zealand, 6:44pm
Photo: Twitter/@Blitzboks