Brits excited for maiden Hong Kong experience

David Brits is keen to see if the hype around the Cathay Pacific/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong as being the best in the world, is true as in his opinion, nothing beats the South African leg of the world series, but he is going into the week with an open mind, the Blitzbok forward said with a huge smile on Monday.

The decorated 28-year-old is on his first visit to Hong Kong and he plans to make the best of this opportunity, with the long-anticipated tournament victory also on “to do list” in the Far East this week.

“Everyone is raving about this tournament and from what I saw on TV in the past, there is certainly a hype,” said Brits.

“I am in a lift club with Ryan Oosthuizen as well and he speaks with great respect of the tournament. For me personally, the Cape Town Sevens is the best tournament ever, especially when we play in the final and win, like we did in the last two years but I am prepared to give Hong Kong a go,” Brits added, with a wink.

“I missed out on the tournament the last two years because of injury, which was unfortunate but that is how rugby goes sometimes. This time around I made it, much to my delight as I can now also play in what will be a huge moment in my sevens career. The fact that we arrive here well prepared makes the wait even more exciting.”

Brits has enjoyed the glory that came with winning the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles last year and the HSBC SVNS Series in 2026 but he said the Blitzboks are starting afresh in the first of three World Championship tournaments.

“We came here with the series behind us, as we now focus on the next challenge,” he said.

“We are very proud of what we achieved thus far but that is in the bank and we are ready to start creating new memories for the group.

“It was quite telling that this time around, we did not welcome any debutants into our first training session like we had in Cape Town, Singapore, Perth, Vancouver and New York. It shows that our coaches had a plan, made it work and that the players are settled and ready to deliver.”

Brits said the fact that the Blitzboks are the only team that had already booked their place in next year's HSBC SVNS Series, courtesy of winning the 2026 series, will be a comfort but no guarantee to success in the three-tournament World Championship.

“All the other teams are vying for the other seven spots, so they will be playing for survival basically,” he said.

“We need to counter that urgency when we face Uruguay, Spain and Argentina in our pool. As usual, we will not look past that first match against Uruguay on Friday. That mindset worked well for us thus far, so we are not changing that.”

Apart from Brits, Jayden Nell is the other Blitzbok player never to have played at this tournament. In fact, Nell was the final debutant during the series when he flew in from South Africa to replace the injured Christie Grobbelaar for the HSBC SVNS New York tournament.

Nell is still taking it all in but as he has shown in New York, he ready to contribute when needed: “I think what helped me in New York was that first game against New Zealand, when I was 13th man and did not play, I could experience the match real time with the squad and when I got my opportunity, I knew what was coming.

“My job this time will be the same. As a forward, we need to generate momentum and I am also doing my bit in the line-outs so keen to contribute when I get the chance,” Nell said.

Most Blitzbok tournament appearances in Hong Kong

10 Branco du Preez

8 Chris Dry, Frankie Horne

7 Cecil Afrika, Kyle Brown

Hong Kong pools (men)

A: South Africa, Argentina, Spain, Uruguay

B: Fiji, France, Great Britain, Germany

C: New Zealand, Australia, Kenya, USA

Blitzbok pool schedule (all matches live on SuperSport, SA times)

Friday

5.16am v Uruguay

8.49am v Spain

Saturday

6.13am v Argentina

Springbok Sevens squad for Hong Kong

#2 Ryan Oosthuizen – 62 tournaments, 270 points (54 tries)

#3 Impi Visser (captain) – 50 tournaments, 240 points (48 tries)

#4 Zain Davids – 57 tournaments, 255 points (51 tries)

#7 Ronald Brown – 24 tournaments, 491 points (51 tries, 118 conversions)

#8 Selvyn Davids – 46 tournaments, 766 points (102 tries, 128 conversions, 1 penalty)

#11 Siviwe Soyizwapi – 64 tournaments, 800 points (160 tries)

#12 Shilton van Wyk – 32 tournaments, 355 points (71 tries)

#14 Quewin Nortje – 12 tournaments, 160 points (32 tries)

#15 Donavan Don – 14 tournaments, 113 points (21 tries, 4 conversions)

#16 Sebastiaan Jobb – 8 tournaments, 70 points (14 tries)

#19 David Brits – 15 tournaments, 60 points (12 tries)

#24 Tristan Leyds – 17 tournaments, 193 points (25 tries, 34 conversions)

#31 Jayden Nell – 1 tournament, 0 points

2026 HSBC SVNS schedule

29-30 November: Dubai - NZL/NZL

6-7 December: Cape Town - SA/AUS

31 January-1 February: Singapore - FIJI/NZL

7-8 February: Perth - SA/NZL

7-8 March: Vancouver - SA/NZL

14-15 March: New York - SA/NZL

17-19 April: Hong Kong (World Championship Series, Round 1)

29-31 May: Valladolid (World Championship Series, Round 2)

5-7 June: Bordeaux (World Championship Series, Round 3)