Blitzboks Aiming for Olympic Glory in 2024

After a challenging season on the sevens circuit, Selvyn Davids is leading the Blitzboks with a clear goal in mind: to win South Africa‘s first medal at the 2024 Olympics. The team is set to face Ireland and New Zealand in the opening round of matches at Stade de France this Wednesday.

The Blitzboks qualified for the prestigious Olympics by competing in the Sevens Repechage in June, finishing seventh in the overall Sevens Series standings for the year. They are keen to make a strong start in their group.

Davids, who is one of six players on the team with previous Olympic experience, emphasizes the importance of a strong beginning. “It would be great if South Africa can [win a] medal on the opening day,” he said, as quoted by TimesLIVE. “That would set the tone for the other teams and the other athletes that still have to play.”

This season hasn’t been easy for the South African team. Davids admitted, “It hasn’t been a great season for us. [But] the past few tournaments we came closer together as a team.” He believes that despite the results not always being in their favor, they have improved in their style of play and in teamwork.

<p“At the qualifiers we played the best rugby of our season,” he added with optimism. “So it’s been a rough season for us, but we are a much closer team now. We started to play for each other in the past few tournaments and we are getting where we want to be – playing for each other, playing for the country and playing for the badge.”