A month before the start of the new IRB Sevens World Series in Dubai, Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu has been testing out nine newcomers at the team's base in Stellenbosch.
Not content with winning a first World Series title in May, Treu now wants to widen his net and broaden the talent available to him for the foreseeable future.
Braam Gerber (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Conrad Hoffman (Vodacom Western Province), Steven Hunt (Vodacom Western Province Under 21), Trompie Nontshinga (GWK Griquas), Chris Dry and Makholokoe Ramashala (Free State Under 21), Nhlanganiso Sibanda (Free State Under 19), Bernardo Botha (Lions Under 21) and Alshaun Bock (Hamilton Rugby Club) have all been given a chance to shine alongside Treu's full-time contracted Sevens regulars.
Hoffman and Nontshinga represented Western Province and Griquas during the 2009 Absa Currie Cup competition while Bock starred for Hamilton during their successful SAA National Club Championship campaign.
The team's next assignment is the Middelburg Sevens on 31 October and then the Singapore Cricket Club Sevens, where the squad competes as the SA Vipers and are defending champions.
This year more than ever, Treu is focused on starting the World Series well. Not only has Rugby Sevens' Olympic inclusion from 2016 heightened overall awareness of the sport, but the Boks will be defending the first two titles, the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens and the Emirates Airline South Africa Sevens.
While New Zealand have managed a run of four Dubai victories, from 1999 to 2002, and England claimed back to back wins in 2004 and 2005, none of South Africa's three victories have come back-to-back.
Stick: New season of unknowns
"We're putting in the hard yards at our base in Stellenbosch now. It will hopefully give us the edge that we need to be successful again," said Treu's captain Mzwandile Stick.
"We know each other but because we have some new guys out there, we need this time together.
"There's always a bunch of new faces in Dubai and we never really know what to expect from other teams. The off-season can be good for some sides, and bad for others. We know it will be difficult for us, especially now that sides like Scotland have started contracting Sevens players. The pools gets tougher.
"But we have some exciting new players, like Cecil (Afrika), and I believe he is ready to play at the highest level. The young players are likely to take the step up this season."
South Africa have been drawn in the same pool as Sevens World Cup winners Wales, the home side Arabian Gulf and Australia and will play their opening match of the tournament against the Welsh on Friday 4 December.
Dubai Sevens tickets
Tickets for the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens are still on sale at The Sevens ground on the Al Ain Road, Emirates headquarters, the Dnata Travel Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road and numerous Costa and MMI outlets as well as online through
www.dubairugby7s.com and by calling Ticketline on UAE 8004669.
