5 minutes with Mpho Mbiyozo

uctrfc.co.za
caught up with Mpho Mbiyozo, the varsity flank who is now in his second season
with the Springbok Sevens team. He is a regular starter in Paul Treu’s side and
has made a name for himself giving the team of speedsters a physical edge.
There
is no denying that it is always great to see a varsity guy on the big screen, Impi
as he is known to his UCT mates took some time to chat on the way from Amsterdam to London.

uctrfc.co.za:  Mpho, good to see you on the Green Mile when the
boys took on Maties the other day, we know you are hardly around with all the
7s travels, but great to see you got your priorities straight!
Mpho: Yeah,
it was great to watch the boys against the fellas from the farm school. As you
say, of late it’s not always possible to see Varsity play due to the travels
and also I live in Tygervalley now, that on its own feels like it’s on the
other side of the world.. haha

uctrfc.co.za: Tygervalley? Really? Behind the curtain? Are you sure you want this in the interview? Jokes! Anyway, SA Sevens coach Paul Treu used the Amsterdam Sevens last weekend as a
warm-up for the next fixtures. Did you play as the official SA Sevens team? How
did it go?
Mpho: No, we
played as the International Samurai as it is not a Series fixture and it went
very well, we won the tournament. It was a great preparation for us before the
last two legs of the IRB series.

uctrfc.co.za: Any tips for visitors to the jungles of Amsterdam? What was the team’s survival 101?
Mpho: Stay
away from coffee shops and don’t eat the chocolate – any chocolate! I got that
advice from our bus driver. As a team we went there with a few goals in mind
and didn’t put aside time to let loose, we did get to see the town a bit though.

uctrfc.co.za: The last two tournaments in England and Scotland will be biggies again, what are
your predictions?
Mpho: Ah
you never know with the 7s, all teams have equal shots at winning, it just
depends which team puts it together on the day. The Kiwis managed to put
together an impressive winning streak of 47 games, hopefully we’ll carry on
where we left off in Adelaide.

uctrfc.co.za: That’s right, you guys beat NZ in the Australian final early April and
finally ended their run, how do the pools look this time around? Will you meet
your old foes early or could there be another NZ-SA clash in the finals?
Mpho: Yeah
we’re definitely gonna lock horns with them, at some stage either in the knock
out stages or in the final, depending. As i said earlier it all depends on how
one does at the end of the day. I can’t really make any predictions.

uctrfc.co.za: What are your personal rugby plans? Continue on the Sevens circuit or
would you be keen to play 15s again as well, especially with the ELVs, which
would probably suit your game?
Mpho: I am
thoroughly enjoying the sevens and with the Sevens World Cup and World Games
coming up next year, I would love to be still in the set-up. On the other hand I
wouldn’t mind to give the 15s a crack again as well, the new rules seem like
open-siders  paradise.

uctrfc.co.za: Thanks for taking the time and good luck in London and Edinburgh. Do you have a message for the Ikey
Tigers?


Mpho: Thank you! As for the Tigers, they are a fantastic team, I haven’t seen
many league games but the one I saw was very impressive. The future certainly looks
great for the Ikeys.

here a little youtube clip of the man: