Dewald Human will lead the SA Rugby Sevens Academy squad to the Rugby Town 7s international tournament in Glendale, Colorado, from 20-22 August at Infinity Park near Denver, on a trip to the USA where Sandile Ngcobo will make his international coaching debut.
The South Africans accepted an invitation from international sevens franchise Samurai to play in their strip as the long-time supporters of the SA Rugby Sevens Academy celebrate their 25th anniversary.
The South Africans with play as the Samurai in the event, where the national teams of Germany and Barbados, as well as the USA Under-23 side are amongst the participants.
Ngcobo could call on the services of Human, a former Blitzbok captain, and current Springbok Sevens players Sako Makata, James Murphy, JC Pretorius, Angelo Davids and Ryan Oosthuizen to add experience to the side. Shilton van Wyk, Lubabelo Dobela and Shaun Williams will be embarking on their first international trip.
Makata, Pretorius and Davids were members of the South African team that placed fifth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo earlier in the month, while Murphy and Oosthuizen missed the Japan trip due to injuries.
Junior Springbok wing, Dalvon Blood, has also been included, having played in the recent International Under-20 Series that featured Argentina, Georgia and Uruguay.
The Samurai will play in Pool C against the Tsunami Barbarians, ROOTS Rugby, Gorilla Rugby and the Denver Rugby 7s Selects.
They depart Cape Town on Saturday evening.
The Samurai squad
- Christie Grobbelaar
- Sako Makata
- James Murphy
- JC Pretorius
- Shilton van Wyk
- Angelo Davids
- Lubabalo Dobela
- Dewald Human (captain)
- Qamani Kota
10 Darren Adonis
- Shaun Williams
- Ryan Oosthuizen
- Dalvon Blood
Management: Sandile Ngcobo (coach), Marius Schoeman (manager), Hugh Everson (physiotherapist).