The Bok Women's Sevens are expected to be relentless and show some real urgency on Saturday when they face Hong Kong China and Czechia in their pool, with a place in Sunday's semi-finals on the line.
This was the message from the 21-year-old Shiniqwa Lamprecht after the teams checked into their hotel in Cape Town on Tuesday. The hard-running player from Pretoria, who signed a national contract with a long sevens career in mind, said she dreamt of representing South Africa as a youngster and has been working very hard since.
For Lamprecht, playing on the world stage was the main reason for accepting SA Rugby’s offer and her participation in all eight tournaments of the 2024 HSBC SVNS season seemed justified.
However, South Africa lost their spot as core team to China for this season and they have to start over again, with that journey kicking off in Cape Town.
The loss of their core status is something Lamprecht and her teammates want to redeem, she insisted soon after the team arrived at their team hotel in Cape Town on Tuesday.
“Dropping off of the circuit was a shock to all of us, so we need to get back at the next opportunity, which starts this weekend,” said Lamprecht, who played at inside centre for the Junior Springboks Women and Bulls Daisies with distinction in the longer version of the game.
Shiniqwa Lamprecht in action last season during HSBC SVNS.
“That is why the home crowd can expect some real urgency from us from the start on Saturday.
“We may have some World Series experience and other teams not, but that is no guarantee for us. Every tournament has its unique flow and each game you play has unique challenges. We are certainly not going to take anything for granted.
“The team with the best skill levels, preparation and dedication to the job on hand will be successful come Sunday. We are in a fortunate position that our senior players, who form the majority of the squad, have good experience and maturity and I believe that is something that could count in our favour this weekend.”
Only three players in the SA squad did not feature in the world series last season and for Lamprecht, the second youngest member in the squad, that guarantees a good burst of energy.
“They were selected by the coaches because they have a skill set that will benefit the rest and they will also bring that extra energy, so we will be okay as a squad,” she said.
“We were competitive in every game we played on the circuit and since then we have spent many hours preparing for the Challenger, whether it was field sessions, gym or strategy sessions, we come well prepared.
“Obviously, a good crowd will be a bonus as ultimately, we also play for everyone who find meaning in the Springbok jersey.”
