International - World Rugby Sevens Series France Placement Matches

Friday, 8 Nov 2024

FT

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Sport | Are Boks slowly stealing a march on Ireland for Rugby World Cup 2027 assault?

That bewitching World Cup "three-peat" in mind, Ireland v NZ on Friday provides some early yardsticks to Bok fans, writes Rob Houwing.

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Simmers determined to lead South Africa's charge for HSBC SVNS Series spot

Simmers is the country's most decorated female sevens player, with 21 world series tournaments, three Rugby World Cup Sevens, three Commonwealth Games and most recent, one Olympic Games appearance. She also played in six Rugby Africa Women's Sevens tournaments. Yet, on Saturday at the University of Ghana Rugby Stadium in Accra, the 36-year-old will be as eager and as determined as 20-year-old Leigh Fortuin, one of two uncapped players in the squad along with Nompumelelo Mathe. "Yes, I am fired up and ready to have another go at this journey towards the end goal, getting back onto the circuit," said Simmers. "That starts tomorrow when we face Burkina Faso and each game after that will be as important as the first one. We need to qualify for the Challenger Series again and to do so, we need to finish in the top three this weekend." A top-three spot in Ghana will give them another crack at 2026 HSBC SVNS qualification, via World Rugby's Challenger Series. "We have done that before and I know we can do that again," she insisted. "But that is well into the future, the realities are now and we will be ready. The squad prepared well for this tournament, with tough conditions in Stellenbosch over the last six weeks sharpening us up." The return from XVs rugby by several experienced players will aid the cause, but Simmers, who has four Test caps with the Springbok Women herself, is very excited about Fortuin and Mathe's inclusions. "They know how to play rugby, no doubt," she said. "The senior players can make their debuts easier by doing their jobs well and if that happens, the two debutants will shine. They have been selected for certain skills and if they bring it alongside their energy, we will benefit as a squad." The Pool A matchups against Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe and Tunisia will be hard work, according to the SA captain: "These squads are improving all the time, and it will be hard work to beat them, but I believe our experiences gained on the international stages we have played on this year will help us to cope. We will focus on Sunday and the knockouts only once we did the job at hand tomorrow." Pool fixtures - Saturday 9 November 12h50: Burkina Faso 15h34: Zimbabwe 18h18: Tunisia

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