A group of 18 SA Women’s Sevens players have assembled in Cape Town on Thursday morning for a four-day training camp in preparation for their participation in a tournament in Dubai later this year.
The SA Women will most probably also be involved in similar tournaments next year in Las Vegas, Hong Kong and London as they prepare for the second Rugby World Cup Sevens Women’s tournament next June 28-30 in Moscow, Russia.
The bulk of the group in Cape Town consists of players who were involved in the tournaments in London and Amsterdam earlier this year.
Mandisa Williams (No 8), Yolanda Meiring (fullback), Zenay Jordaan (fly half), Phumeza Gadu (wing) and Natasha Hoffmester (wing) are some of the more experienced players in the group. The players will spend the next couple of days undergoing several fitness and conditioning tests at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa in Newlands while the on-field training sessions have been scheduled for Florida Park in Ravensmead near Bellville.
Former Springbok prop Lawrence Sephaka has been roped in to assist with the technical aspects of scrummaging and general forward play.
The following players are attending the SA Women’s Sevens training camp in Cape Town from 23 to 26 August (provincial union followed by name and surname):
Blue Bulls
Yolanda Meiring, Rights Mkhari, Marithy Pienaar
Border
Mandisa Williams, Fundiswa Plaatjie, Nolusindiso Booi, Ziyanda Tywaleni, Nwabisa Ngxatu, Sinazo Nobele, Nosiphiwo Goda
Eastern Province
Zenay Jordaan, Phumeza Gadu
Leopards
Nomsa Mokwai
Western Province
Natasha Hofmeester, Zaandre Theron, Banele Makwezele, Laverne Cloete (UWC)
Southwestern Districts:
Mathrin Simmers
Management:
Denver Wannies (Coach), Mrs Orna Prinsloo (Team Manager), Dr Lehlogonolo Mampane (Team Doctor), Tanushree Pillay (Physiotherapist), Denzil van Heerden (Biokineticist), Lawrence Sephaka (Specialist).