Skipper Soyizwapi hits 50 as Blitzboks welcome back stalwart Geduld

The Blitzboks have named a 13-man squad for next weekend's World Rugby Sevens Series event in Toulouse, France.

Skipper Siviwe Soyizwapi will make his 50th World Series appearance, while the squad features five players returning to action.

The Blitzboks will welcome the return of veteran playmaker Justin Geduld after more than a year on the sidelines, while James Murphy, Ronald Brown, Dewald Human and Shilton van Wyk are also back.

World Rugby Sevens Series standings

Geduld has recovered from hip and knee injuries and the team will relish having their most-capped player for the first time this season.

Geduld, who last played at the Spain Sevens in Seville in January 2022, has played in 52 tournaments and scored 1 060 points.

The return of Brown, Human and Geduld also means that head coach Sandile Ngcobo will have the luxury of five playmakers per match, an area of expertise that was lacking due to injuries at crucial times.

"Having all those playmakers around is going to be huge for us - not only because of their abilities, but the added value they bring," said Ngcobo.

"All of them can kick with either left or right foot, so the shape of our restarts will change as well. The real assurance for me lies in their ability to bring experience and game management to the squad. It is great to have them back."

Ryan Oosthuizen - 41 tournaments, 197 matches (185 points, 37 tries)

Impi Visser - 30 tournaments, 157 matches (140 points, 28 tries)

James Murphy - 15 tournaments, 69 matches (55 points, 11 tries)

Ronald Brown - 11 tournaments, 53 matches (310 points, 30 tries, 80 conversions)

Dewald Human - 20 tournaments, 87 matches (226 points, 18 tries, 68 conversions)

Siviwe Soyizwapi (captain) - 49 tournaments, 255 matches (745 points, 149