Prestige of Blitzboks call-up meant Lions had no problem loaning Jordan Hendrikse

Jordan Hendrikse and the Lions treated his mildly surprising enlistment to the Blitzboks for this weekend's London Sevens as nothing less than a prestigious national call-up.

With the Ellis Park-based franchise's interest in the United Rugby Championship (URC) done, they duly obliged to hand their gifted 20-year-old flyhalf over to Neil Powell and co, safe in the knowledge that it's a stint mutually beneficial to all parties.

"It's always nice to represent your country," Lions skills and backline guru Ricardo Loubscher - a former Springbok assistant coach - said on Friday, ahead of the side's Currie Cup meeting with Western Province at home on Saturday.

"It's particularly special when it's the Springboks or the Blitzboks. It's a really great opportunity for Jordan."

READ | Hendrikse ready for unexpected Blitzboks role

The culture of excellence cultivated by Powell over a tenure spanning nearly a decade will be of particular use to Hendrikse, who, despite his age, is being tasked with driving the Lions' future in Europe.

"Off the field, just to get exposure to the national sevens culture will be awesome for him," said Loubscher.

"It's an environment where you can learn a lot. Also, we're obviously very hopeful that Jordan will bring back those experiences and learnings and let it filter down to his own game and to our setup. 

"It's exciting times all round."

There's been a distinct feeling that Hendrikse, despite a profitable URC campaign in terms of points (117), has merely provided a glimpse of the heights he could eventually scale.

His attacking prowess, particularly in terms of snappy decision-making, will receive a major boost in the sevens arena, while he'll also find the defensive demands taxing.

Interestingly, despite his