'We have talented players, no worthwhile systems' - SA Women's Sevens coach vexed by 'external factors'

Springbok Women's Sevens coach Paul Delport was beside himself when he reflected on a home World Cup which included one win and three loses in four games over three days in Cape Town.

His team went down 29-0 to France in their opening game on Friday; they let Japan get away with one on Saturday, going down 14-12 before claiming a stunning 27-0 win against Colombia. On Sunday, they lost 21-19 to China in the 13th/14th place challenge.

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Delport, rating the weekend for his team made it clear that there is still chasm between the performances expected of the team and the backing they receive.

"Pretty standard," Delport said.

"If you look at our programme, we have no business playing against the top 8 teams, and the ladies put in a good shift.

"I’ve been pleasantly surprised … I thought we would have been at a lower level than we have been. There’s disappointment because the ladies put themselves in a position to win where before we haven’t done that. In two of our three losses we were competitive against teams with full-time Sevens programmes, with massive budgets where we have nothing."

To put matters into context, South Africa could not qualify for the World Series. As a group, they played one leg of the Sevens World Series this year as an invitational team.

Delport spoke of so-called "external factors" which could have gone a long way in getting the team better prepared. His frustration aside, he had glowing words for his team.

"I’m disappointed because I love to win, but at the same time, I'm proud of the team."

It's been a whirlwind year for the South Africans as they have had to contend with tournaments to prepare for the World Cup, while also splitting players between fifteens and Sevens.

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