Springbok Women’s Sevens coach Renfred Dazel added Libbie Janse van Rensburg and Jakkie Cilliers to his final training squad for World Rugby’s Sevens Challenger Series to be played on consecutive weekends in Stellenbosch later this month, while Nadine Roos will also make a timely return to South Africa.
The two tournaments will be played at Markötter Stadium in Stellenbosch on 20-22 and 28-30 April and Dazel has been hard at work preparing his squad, with a single spot in the women’s section of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in 2024 up for grabs.
Janse van Rensburg and Cilliers were part of the Springbok Women's squad that played Tests against Canada and Spain in Madrid recently, but they are familiar with sevens rugby.
Roos, who was named Springbok Women’s Player of the Year for 2022, is currently plying her trade in Japan and will also link up with the squad in Cape Town on Sunday.
Cilliers was part of the squad that played at the HSBC Cape Town Sevens in December, while Janse van Rensburg last played for the national sevens team in 2016. Both joined the national sevens squad in Stellenbosch after returning from Spain.
“I coached Jakkie in the lead-up to the Dubai and Cape Town tournaments and I am very pleased to have her back in the fold,” said Dazel.
“Libbie has played a lot of sevens before her move to fifteens in 2021, in fact, I coached her at the national level when I started out in my first stint as coach with the sevens women.
“I had a chat with Lynne Cantwell, our High-Performance Manager, about bringing them into the squad for these two crucial tournaments. We had some injuries to our original squad and needed depth in certain positions, and Jakkie and Libbie will provide that.
“They are nationally contracted players and by adding them to the training squad for these two very important tournaments, we will cover all our bases and it will give us a bit more leeway.”
Anacadia Minnaar and Asisipho Plaatjies have been ruled out of the squad, while Felicia Jacobs and Donelle Snyders could not train this week.
The Springbok Women’s Sevens will conclude training in Stellenbosch this week and will join the rest of the Challenger Series squads in Cape Town next week in preparation for the tournaments.
Springbok Women’s Sevens training squad:
1. Simamkele Namba
2. Kemisetso Baloyi
3. Ayanda Malinga
4. Zintle Mpupha
5. Marlize de Bruin
6. Felicia Jacobs
7. Eloise Webb
8. Sizophila Solontsi
9. Liske Lategan
10. Donelle Snyders
11. Zandile Masuku
12. Snenhlanhla Shozi
13. Libbie Janse van Rensburg
14. Jakkie Cilliers
15. Nadine Roos
16. Mathrin Simmers
17. Rights Mkhari