It's full circle for Blitzboks veteran Siviwe Soyizwapi in Hong Kong

Soyizwapi is older and wiser, but just as determined as he was in 2016 when he made his Blitzbok debut at the Hong Kong Stadium.

This time around, a new venue in Kai Tak Stadium awaits at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, but for Soyizwapi and his team-mates, the mission remains the same: to deliver a performance that will not only justify their hard work on the training pitch but also maintain the high standard that is demanded by playing for your country and representing the Springbok badge.

They also want to improve their position in the world series, with South Africa (62 points) currently in fourth spot on the log, behind Argentina (68), Spain (66) and Fiji (62).

Apart from the 32-year-old Soyizwapi, Ryan Oosthuizen (53) and Zain Davids (50) also broke into the "very experienced" bracket of players, while Gino Cupido will play in his first tournament for South Africa while Tristan Leyds and Zander Reynders travel to Hong Kong for the first time.

"We leave here well prepared and determined to succeed," Soyizwapi said as the team departed Cape Town on Sunday for the fifth tournament of the 2025 season

"We are aware of our log position and the comfort in that is that it shows our growth as a team. We want to be in the top four in every tournament and we are getting there, so the confidence is growing that we are on the right track.

"The one thing I came to realise over time is that it is the performance on the day that counts and that you must always be ready for those. Hence my comfort for this tournament, as we prepared very well. The growth of the squad in recent times shows in the performances this far, we are becoming contenders in each tournament we play in."

Soyizwapi said he wished to acknowledge the team's supporters as another motivating factor.

"Our supporters do not have an easy time," he smiled. "In Vancouver, the final was played at something like 03h00 on a Monday morning back home, yet so many people got up to watch and support.

"The time zones are a bit better next weekend, so maybe we can return the favour. We really value the support we get and that is also a driving factor for the team."

Pool B fixtures (SA times):

Friday 28 March

11h56: Uruguay

14h39: Australia

Saturday 29 March

07h43: New Zealand

Springbok Sevens squad for Hong Kong:

Ryan Oosthuizen, Impi Visser (co-captain), Zain Davids, Ricardo Duarttee, Selvyn Davids (co-captain) , Dewald Human, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Shilton van Wyk, Quewin Nortje, Donavan Don, Gino Cupido, Zander Reynders, and Tristan Leyds