A focused Ricardo Duarttee returns to Mauritius this weekend with gratitude and grit as the Springbok Sevens ‘A’ team chase Rugby Africa Sevens glory.
Mauritius is known more as a vacation destination than a rugby hub but Duarttee, whose Blitzbok revival began on the island country last year, says the tournament is no holiday.
“This is a tough tournament, those guys are hard, and you better be prepared. They are coming for us,” the playmaker said.
“You will earn your spurs here, no doubt. There are some very talented individuals here assembled by Coach Philip [Snyman] and I think we will give a good account of ourselves.”
Last year, Duarttee was playing professional club sevens in England when he was recalled to the Bok Sevens ‘A’ team, after he was released from national duty a few months earlier following a troubled time in the 27-year-old’s career.
The rest is history, as Duarttee went on to play in all seven SVNS tournaments for the Blitzboks in the 2025 season, including the grand finale in Los Angeles, where South Africa claimed World Championship glory, with Duarttee scoring a try in the final against Spain.
“Yes, Mauritius will always have a special place in my heart because that is where I got my second chance as a Blitzbok player,” Duarttee said.“I was in England, playing sevens on the club circuit there when the call came. I waited for that call and I was ready for the comeback into the squad.
“The SA Sevens ‘A’ side had a good tournament here, and although we came up short against Uganda, a lot of positive things happened in that I was accepted back into the team,” he added.
“That was huge for me and looking back at the season we just had, one of the best things that could ever happen to me. For that, I will always think of Mauritius in the nicest way possible.”
Springbok Sevens ‘A’ pool fixtures (all Saturday, 21 June):
8:06am, vs Nigeria
10:50am, vs Zambia
1:34pm, vs Burkina Faso
Photo: @Blitzboks/Twitter
