Not one to inspire by words but rather action, Du Preez will take to the field in Hong Kong in his 68th tournament. That mark, for all in the current squad, was the bar for career appearances in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, set by Frankie Horne, who it 68 times consecutively.

Now Du Preez, already the leading conversion kicker in the history of the Blitzboks with 387, will equal Horne’s mark and if all goes well, he will reach the new record of 69, which was set by Kyle Brown in Sydney earlier this year, next week in Singapore. The 29-year-old reluctantly speaks about the mark and is much keener on chatting about the forthcoming Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.

Du Preez just wants to play at his very best and help the Blitzboks be as competitive as ever. And who knows, maybe win the tournament for the very first time. After all, this is Hong Kong where, as the slogan says, “the world comes to play”.

“Every time you come to Hong Kong, and I have been here a couple of times before, you get that feeling that something is about to happen,” said Du Preez, who has played in 339 matches in his World Series career.

“Each time you step onto the field for the team, representing your country, makes it very special and the crowd makes it even more so. They really support the teams."Du Preez has scored 1220 points, at an average of 3.6 per match, which shows his value to the team, but he wants to contribute in all areas.

“My main aim is to make sure I do my job, whether it is starting the match or coming off the bench. All of us have different responsibilities, but whatever is expected, I will be giving it at the very best of my abilities,” Du Preez added.