Habana backs Blitzboks to clinch Olympic sevens spot

Rosko Specman will aim to help South Africa to reach the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Bryan Habana says South Africa must return to their core principles in order to qualify for the men’s rugby sevens tournament at this year’s Olympic Games.

Kenya beat the Blitzboks to a spot in Paris in African qualifying, but the reigning Commonwealth champions have another chance to book their place via a 12-team tournament in Monaco this weekend.

However, only the winners of the event will be heading to the French capital next month.

Rugby World Cup winner Habana was part of the South Africa sevens set-up before the sport made its debut at the 2016 Olympics, but did not make the final squad which took bronze in Rio de Janeiro.

“It's been a strange old season for the Blitzboks,” Habana, 41, told BBC Sport Africa.

“There's been a change of management, and it's always difficult in any transition period to try and keep the consistency of success.

“If they play to the best of their abilities, given the talent, skill, leadership and coaching that we have within that group, they're more than capable enough to qualify for the Olympics.”

South Africa’s men were among the most consistent performers on the world sevens circuit, with three titles and six second-placed finishes between 2012-13 and 2021-22.

Yet the departure of long-serving coach Neil Powell at the end of 2022 led to a drop-off in results.

Philip Snyman replaced Sandile Ngcobo as coach in March, and the Blitzboks ended the SVNS tour in seventh place for the second successive season – with their sole series win in the most recent campaign coming in Dubai last December.

“Neil Powell laid an incredible foundation with his team for the better part of 10-12 years,” Habana said.

“I think when you lose someone like that, if you really just look at Manchester United and what's happened post Alex Ferguson, it's really difficult to make sure that that transition is as good as possible.

“A lot of the players who were instrumental in winning Commonwealth gold have since moved on into the 15s format of the game.”

Bryan Habana was part of South Africa's Rugby World Cup-winning squad in 2007

The top four sides from the 2022-23 World Rugby Sevens Series were also assured of a place at the Olympics, and forward Impi Visser knows South Africa are in the last chance saloon.

“We really did ourselves no favours this time around,” Visser told the SA Rugby website.

“First, we finished outside the top four and then we lost to Kenya through the continental route.

"Luckily for us, we have one more opportunity and this time we must make it work."

Great Britain, who finished eighth in the SVNS this season, and Spain will be among the sides who will challenge South Africa for the remaining place at the Games at the 12-team qualifier in Monaco.

Habana believes the Blitzboks could challenge for a medal in Paris if they come through the tournament, which runs from Friday to Sunday.

“It's really important for the men to go out there and show how good they are,” the former winger said.

“The thing they can draw from the Commonwealth gold victory is that they know they can do it. And that was also a team that had a lot of new faces.

“Hopefully, once they qualify, a group of players that not only have the skill and the ability, but those that have got the exuberance of youth mix with the wisdom of experience and they can come together and form an incredible bond in a journey to try going better than what they did in 2016 and getting bronze.“

Final Olympic men's rugby sevens qualifier

Group A: South Africa, Chile, Tonga, Mexico.

Group B: Great Britain, Canada, Uganda, China.

Group C: Spain, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Brazil.

Top two in each group and two best-ranked third-placed sides qualify for the knockout stage.