The Blitzboks have never won the World Cup before, but after winning back-to-back HSBC Sevens World Series titles, they are considered as the favourites to reign supreme in San Francisco.

The captain, Philip Snyman, is quietly confident that South Africa will be as competitive as they were earlier in the season, when they defended their World Series crown.

“We’ve had a couple of training sessions thus far, just to open the lungs and stretch the legs a bit.

“There is a really good spirit and vibe in the team at the moment and we will be playing out first match on Saturday, against either Ireland or Chile.

“Nowadays you cannot just pitch up at a game thinking that you are going to win.

“Any team can beat any other team on any given day.

“You really need to be up to the challenge and especially at this World Cup. You will only be playing in four game before the knockout-rounds.

“You have to be at you best from the get-go and to get out of the blocks as quickly as possible will be our focus.”

The Blitzboks open their campaign on Saturday morning at 6:15 when they face the winner between Ireland and Chile.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport