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'It’s always on the cards': Bok RWC winner would 'love' 7s switch for Olympics
By Josh Raisey
The game of sevens could see another superstar from 15s make the switch to the circuit to play in the 2024 Olympics, with double World Cup winner Damian Willemse expressing his desire to represent South Africa Sevens in Paris next summer.
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Sevens has already seen France captain Antoine Dupont and former Australia captain Michael Hooper make the switch, and with the world wondering whether any more players will follow their lead, Willemse recently said that he would “love” to make the move to play for the Blitzboks.
Speaking to Hanyani Shimange, Jean de Villiers and Bryan Habana on RugbyPass’ ‘Boks Office’ during the HSBC SVNS Cape Town over the weekend (where Willemse carried the Webb Ellis Cup out to the Cape Town Stadium), the 25-year-old, who played sevens at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2015, said that every kid dreams of competing at the World Cup and the Olympics. He did, however, highlight the commitment that a switch would require, and how it is effectively a “different sport”. He left the door open for a move nevertheless.
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“I mean, it’s always on the cards,” the fullback said. “I would love to obviously play in the Olympics. You also need training, as Bryan said, you need to spend some time on the field, training with the guys. This is a different sport, what these guys are doing, it’s crazy, it’s epic. And, yeah, I think it’s definitely something that every rugby player and kid dreams of, competing at the World Cup or the Olympics, and obviously to get a medal would be the cherry on the cake.”
De Villiers gave his view on this potential move, saying Willemse has the tools to be a success in the seven-player format of the game.
“If you take his skillset, what he’s displayed in the 15s game,” de Villiers, a former South Africa Sevens player, said. “Having played fly-half, centre, fullback, with ball in hand exceptional but defensively solid as well. And that’s the thing about sevens rugby, it’s one-on-one. You need to make your tackles one-on-one and you need to have the ability to beat the opposition one-on-one, but then also rucking. Rucking is so important. But the way this guy steps, his ability to beat players one-on-one is just exceptional, but then defensively so solid.”
DW would be a great 7s forward. Big, strong, fast, great ball sense, excellent defense and a significant threat on attack.