The Blitzboks have suffered an injury blow ahead of this weekend's Wellington Sevens, with Ryno Benjamin ruled out after injuring his calf in training on Thursday.

Benjamin will miss the Wellington tournament and next weekend's Sydney leg, with Dylan Sage, who made his Springbok Sevens debut last December in Cape Town, called up to replace him.

Apart from Benjamin, stalwarts Werner Kok and Frankie Horne are long-term injury casualties, while regular skipper Kyle Brown and playmaker Cecil Afrika are both nursing niggles. This has prompted coach Neil Powell to include Carel du Preez and the uncapped Sandile Ngcobo.

On Saturday morning, South Africa will face New Zealand in the last match of the opening day at the Westpac Stadium, with kick-off at 9.30am (SA time).

Photo: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix