SA Rugby President Mr Mark Alexander congratulated the Springbok Sevens team for scooping the Team of Year Award at the 16th annual SA Sports Awards in Sun City on Saturday.

The SA Sports Awards, hosted annually by the South African Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, recognises sports individuals, teams and administrators for their outstanding contributions on and off the field.

The Blitzboks won four straight tournaments on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series before they brought home the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in England.

They were nominated in the Team of the Year category along with Banyana Banyana, the national women’s soccer team, and the Proteas women’s ODI cricket team, while former Blitzbok coach Neil Powell was also nominated in the category for Coach of the Year.

Mr Alexander praised the Springbok Sevens team for their achievements: “The Blitzboks’ players and management are fantastic ambassadors not only for SA Rugby, but also for our country.

“They always make an impression with their exemplary behaviour and their sportsmanship wherever they go, and they fully deserve this award after a very full season, with the undoubted highlight the Commonwealth Games gold medal which they won in convincing fashion in England.

“On behalf of SA Rugby, I want to congratulate them on their award and wish them well for the rest of the current season, starting with the Hong Kong and Singapore tournaments in the next fortnight.”

Issued by SA Rugby Communications