The Blitzboks have made a late call-up ahead of the final SVNS event of the regular season in New York this weekend.
Christie Grobbelaar has been ruled out after suffering a knee injury as South Africa won the Vancouver event on Sunday.
Jayden Nell will join the squad in the USA on Tuesday for the sixth and final tournament of the regular 2025-26 season, with the Blitzboks duelling with Fiji to see who will be crowned league champions.
The uncapped Nell, who represented the Springbok Sevens A side in the Rugby Africa Cup in Mauritius last year, is in line for a potential Blitzboks debut, just like his fellow A-side teammate Grant de Jager did in Vancouver.
The 20-year-old Nell, who attended Durbanville High School, also played for the SA A side in 2024 and should he make his debut this weekend, he will join Nabo Sokoyi, Luan Giliomee, Renaldo Young and De Jager as new caps in the 2025-26 series.
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The Blitzboks have been drawn with New Zealand, France and Australia in Pool A, with Fiji, Argentina, Great Britain and Spain in Pool B.
The Blitzboks had a close call against both New Zealand and Australia in Vancouver. Tristan Leyds, who was named Man of the Final against Spain, said the return of several senior players added to the side’s composure.
“We were lacking something at times during the season and those lapses cost us, especially in Singapore, when we basically played against ourselves,” said Leyds.
“The senior guys helped eradicate those. We started slowly, but we continued improving and that final was just a game where everything came together for us.
“Some of them are playing in my position and that added pressure on me to be at my best and I think I responded well, so happy with that outcome too.
“I was doing my job, but it remains pleasing to win that, it was my first one and I will remember it for a long time. It all came together nicely in the end and to be part of making it happen was rewarding.”
The Blitzboks added the Vancouver title to their wins in Perth and Cape Town this season which brought them level on points with Fiji, who are just ahead having scored more two match points across the series.
The side that finishes top of the standings heading into the three-tournament World Championship series will be exempt from relegation to the second-tier SVNS circuit.
Blitzboks pool matches in New York
Saturday 14 March (SA times)
vs New Zealand (5:06pm)
vs France (8:02pm)
vs Australia (10:58pm)
Photo: Misha Jordaan/Gallo Images
