South Africa head into the tournament brimming with confidence after back-to-back triumphs at the Perth Sevens in Australia and the Vancouver Sevens in Canada. The Blitzboks are second on the overall standings after their victory in Canada and they trail Fiji by a mere three points on points difference. 

The two sides are the only teams still in contention for the overall honours heading into the final event of the regular season.

Former Toyota Cheetahs centre David Brits says the team needs absolutely no motivation going into the New York showpiece.

David Brits. Photo: SA Rugby

“We want to go back-to-back,” said Brits. “I know Perth and Vancouver came one after the other, but we want to return home with consecutive wins. I haven’t done it before, and a couple of the other guys haven’t either, so we are here to win, not just to compete.”

Brits, who operates among the forwards in the sevens setup, says the pack is more than willing to put in the hard graft to give the dangerous Blitzboks backs a platform.

“The forwards really don’t mind doing the hard yards up front,” the 28-year-old explained.

“We have such talented backs and we know that if we can give them quality possession, they will create magic out wide.”

The former Maties captain added that while he is now one of the more experienced players in the system, he is still learning the nuances of the sevens game.

“It took me a while to find my feet in sevens. It’s such a tricky format, and I’m still learning,” said Brits.

David Brits when he was still at the Cheetahs. Photo: Morgan Piek

“For now, it’s going well, and I’m truly grateful for that. Playing in all the tournaments so far has helped me get into the rhythm of things, and I’m really enjoying it.”

The Blitzboks open their New York campaign against New Zealand on Saturday at 17:06.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek sm