A group of fourteen SA Women’s Sevens players have assembled in Port Elizabeth to continue with their preparations for the Dubai tournament in December.
The players are attending the regular, monthly get together to get them into shape for four international tournaments as well as the IRB Women’s Sevens World Cup next year in Russia.
The SA Women are set to be involved in 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.
The bulk of the group consists of players who were involved in the tournaments in London and Amsterdam earlier this year.
Former Springbok prop Lawrence Sephaka has been roped in to assist with the technical aspects of scrummaging and general forward play.
The following group of players is currently attending a SA Women’s Sevens training camp in Port Elizabeth until Sunday, 9 September:
Yolanda Meiring, Rights Mkhari, Marithy Pienaar (Blue Bulls); Mandisa Williams, Fundiswa Plaatjie, Ziyanda Tywaleni, Nwabisa Ngxatu, Nosiphiwo Goda (Border); Zenay Jordaan, Phumeza Gadu (Eastern Province); Natasha Hofmeester, Zaandre Theron, Banele Makwezele (Western Province); Mathrin Simmers (SWD).
Meanwhile the SA Under-16 Girls Sevens group will get together next week in Cape Town for another four-day training camp in preparation for the Australian Youth Olympics next January.
The group will be cut to 15 players after this camp, from which the final travelling squad will be selected.
Denver Wannies, the national SA Women’s coach, is in taking charge of the preparations of both these training groups.