The Pumas Lowveld team is packed with creative speedsters and they have home-ground advantage. Even so, the team will have to play better than ever before this season, to win the cup at the Saru Interprovincial (men’s and women’s) Sevens Rugby Championship.

The tournament will take place at Mbombela Stadium today and Saturday.

Last year the Blue Bulls beat Western Province 38-29 in the cup final. But the Steval Pumas 7s and the surprise package of the tournament, the Pumas Lowveld 7s, both played in the cup semi-finals and lost.

Seven players who were members of either the Pumas 7s squad or the Pumas Lowveld in the 2015 tournament have been selected for this year’s Pumas Lowveld. This includes three former Blitzbok players.

Bernado Botha represented South Africa in the HBSC Sevens World Series in nine tournaments from 2010 to 2013. Ruwellyn Isbell played three in HSBC tournaments in the green and gold in 2012, and was a member of the South African team that won sevens gold at World Games in Columbia in 2013. Reuben Johannes played a single tournament for the Blitzboks in 2012.

Add to this Collen van Staden, who loves to slip through defensive gaps that don’t exist, Damien Jansen van Rensburg, a game breaker who plays with his heart on his sleeve, and former Steval Pumas XV’s centre, Trompie Pretorius, and the Lowveld lads have a team that can set the pitch alight.

Coach, Roelof Kotze, will take it one match at a time.

“We are confident that we will play well this weekend. We have had great preparation playing two tournaments on the North Circuit, improving with every outing and managing to win one leg (the Barzani Sevens in Klerksdorp three weeks ago, beating the Blue Bulls in the cup final). We have a very balanced team with lots of speed, strength and skills. The first goal is to get past the first game versus Limpopo and then to finish the day against Free State and qualify for the cup quarter-finals,” said Kotze.

Day two is almost a “new” tournament. Every match is a knock-out.

“Each game can end your tournament. We will focus on each step of the road and if all goes to plan make it to the final. It will be very rewarding to win the home tournament for the union,” concluded Kotze.

The province will be represented by three teams at the tournament, the Pumas Lowveld, Pumas Highveld and the Pumas Women.

Play will commence at 10:00 on today with the main stadium field and the practice field hosting matches until 19:00. On Saturday’s action will start at 08:00 and end with the men’s cup final at 16:20.
Fans have free entry to this feast of rugby.

The Castle Beer Garden will be erected between the two fields. Food and drinks will be on sale. The Currie Cup final will be shown on a big screen directly after the tournament tomorrow.
The Pumas Lowveld fixtures for today
12:20 vs Limpopo
16:00 vs Griffons
18:40 vs Free State

Pumas Lowveld
Collen van Staden; Francois Koch; Jean Botha; Deon Helberg; Bernado Botha; Frederick Viljoen; Reuben Johannes; Llewellyn Richards; Jerome Pretorius; Tyler Fisher; Damien Jansen van Rensburg; Ruwellyn Isbell.
Coach: Roelof Kotze.

Pumas Highveld
Willem Martin; Willem van der Merwe; Louis Roos; Hubert Neethling; Hugo van der Merwe; Gerhard Munro; Thomas Colllen; Danie Malan; Ian Truter; Jeandre Kleynhans; Johan van der Walt; Steven Jacobs.
Coach: Quintin Abrie

Pumas Women
Gugulethu Hadebe; Fikile Tsotesi; Reabetswe Mafokeng; Nonhlanhla Mtambo; Ayanda Malinga; Duduzile Mahlangu; Silindile Nyemba; Sibonela Letsela; Hleziphi Mpofu; Elly Mekena; Linah Sibiloane; Pretty Mhlanga.
Coach: Devril Boucher.