Engelbrecht gets Bok 7s call up

Pieter Engelbrecht in support of JJ Gagiano for the Ikey Tigers
Ikeys powerhouse back Pieter Engelbrecht who has been plying his trade for the Golden Lions is one of six players making their debut in the Springbok Sevens squad for the HSBC Sevens World Series tournaments in Dubai and George.

Fellow Ikey Kyle Brown returns to international action after his injury lay-off and has been confirmed as captain. Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu retained seven players from the Commonwealth squad who won the bronze medal recently in Delhi.

The squad for the Emirates Airline sponsored tournaments in Dubai and George were unveiled during a media launch at Newlands on Wednesday afternoon. Treu said he was pleased with the mixture of exciting young talent and experienced Sevens internationals.

“I think we have a good balance and the two competitive tournaments in Delhi and Singapore gave the youngsters a decent taste of what they can expect over the next eight months in the HSBC Sevens World Series.

“We have put the disappointment of last season behind us and are looking forward to the season. Last season, Samoa and Australia showed how far and fast the game have progressed and we need to step up and hit the same level of competitiveness as them,” explained Treu.

The Springbok Sevens squad for Dubai and George is:
Lubabalo Mtembu, Boom Prinsloo, Frankie Horne, Pieter Engelbrecht, Sibusiso Sithole, Kyle Brown, Renfred Dazel, Bernardo Botha, Mark Richards, Cecil Afrika, Branco du Preez, MJ Mentz.
Management: Paul Treu (coach), Vuyo Zangqa (assistant-coach), Hugh Everson (physio), Alan Temple-Jones (biokineticist), Sebastian Prim (team manager).