Rugby
Exclusive: Blitzboks Captain Impi Visser Aims to Deliver on Home Soil at Cape Town 7s
The Blitzboks aim to bounce back in the Cape Town 7s after a mixed showing in Dubai. Captain Impi Visser hopes to carry momentum from Day 2 into the home tournament despite injury concerns. The team embraces the challenge of performing at home and is focused on improving.
RUGBYU-SEVENS-SAFRICA-SAM by GIANLUIGI GUERCIA | Getty Images
The Blitzboks will arrive at the Cape Town 7s determined to steady the ship after an uncharacteristically inconsistent showing in Dubai, where they finished fifth in a tournament they have historically dominated.
Captain Impi Visser believes his side has learned valuable lessons and is ready to put things right on home soil.
“There are mixed emotions,” Visser reflected.
“We started well on Day 1 and we beat France but then fell off in games two and three. We were simply not up to standard. On Day 2 we rocked up and finished the weekend in a strong manner.”
He hopes the team can carry that momentum into Cape Town.
“Hopefully we can take that moment from Day 2 into this weekend.”
Injury Concerns
The squad may face selection challenges, with Ryan Oosthuizen sidelined through illness on the final day in Dubai and Selvyn Davids reportedly nursing an injury. Losing two experienced campaigners would be a significant blow in a high-pressure home tournament.
“I don’t think I can comment on the state of their injuries,” Visser said.
“They will be assessed today and we will take it from there.”
“Ryan and Selvyn are two big players for us, who are experienced players. If they can’t feature this weekend, it would be unfortunate. But the next guys coming in will have to pick up from where they left off.”
Although Oosthuizen has hinted that he is available, confirmation will only come once the team is officially announced.
Pressure to Perform at Home?
The Cape Town leg traditionally carries added expectation, but Visser insists the team is embracing the challenge rather than feeling weighed down by it.
“It’s really not pressure, but more expectations to perform in Cape Town. We won here last season and will be looking to do that again. Everyone expects us to perform, but most importantly, we put a lot of expectations on ourselves.”
“There will be a bit more added pressure than normal, but we’ll make sure we stick to our processes this weekend. We just want to focus on what we can do better as we came up short in Dubai.”
With the home crowd behind them and lessons from Dubai still fresh, the Blitzboks enter Cape Town eager to reassert themselves as a powerhouse of the World Rugby Sevens Series.
Nathan has over a decade of knowledge and experience, both as a former professional sportsperson and journalist. Nathan, a former radio sports presenter and producer is an award-winning community radio sports producer/presenter.