TUESDAY, 11.45AM:
SPRINGBOK World Cup hero Chester Williams will captain the 10-player South African squad to play in the Hong Kong Sevens tournament from March 27-29.
The team is, however, going to war without any tried and tested firepower. The Super-12 series has first choice on players and, as a result, sevens coach Dawie Snyman has named an inexperienced group, with six new caps.
The new caps are Werner Raats, Roger Smith and Neil Penrose (all Western Province), Deon Kayser (Eastern Province), Russell Winter (Gauteng Lions) and Nico Venter (Border).
Only Graeme Bouwer (Blue Bulls), Vlok Cilliers (WP) and Natal Shark Dirkie Strydom are sevens specialists, with young Strydom having represented the SA Barbarians at the Air France sevens in 1996.
The Hong Kong event is the final stage of SA’s preparations for the sevens competition to be played at the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia in September.
Squad:
Chester Williams (c), Werner Raats, Vlok Cilliers, Roger Smith, Neil Penrose, Russel Winter, Graeme Bouwer, Nico Venter, Dirkie Strydom, Deon Kayser. Coach: Dawie Snyman. Manager: Wynand Claassen.
SPORT BRIEFS
IMMELMAN STARTS WELL
18-YEAR-OLD Trevor Immelman could not have wished for a better start to the Bell’s SA Amateur Men’s golf championship at the Mount Edgecombe Country Club on Monday. Immelman shot a flawless four-under-par 68 to lead the field by three strokes after the first round.
SA JUNIORS MAKE A CLEAN SWEEP
SOUTH African junior tennis players made a clean sweep of the Group Three ITF tennis tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at the weekend. Playing in an under-18 event, Andrew McDade, 15, beat compatriot Roger Anderson 6-3 3-6 6-2 in the boys event. Kimberley girl Natasha van der Merwe trounced Wong Rui Jang of Singapore for the girls title.
ENGLAND MUST SEND STARS
ENGLAND could be barred from international rugby if they do not force rebel clubs to make players available for international tours. If England cannot take their best team on tour to Australasia, a further round may be added to the tri-nations series between South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, that will be played from July 11 to August 22.
ASA CHEQUE DOES HIGH JUMP
ATHLETICS South Africa will pay Swiss David Dolle sprinter his prize money in cash, after his winner’s cheque from the Absa meeting held in Coetzenburg a fortnight ago allegedly bounced.
SHARKS HIGH AND DRY
THE Coastal Sharks have stayed in South Africa for an extra day after being stranded in Durban on Sunday. The team’s flight to Australia, where they meet the ACT Brumbies on Saturday, was delayed by more than 24 hours. Team manager Craig Jamieson said that the delay was very disruptive and that “in future we should look at other airlines”.
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