Chris Dry says competition within the Blitzboks squad is strong ahead of the upcoming first leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series in Dubai.

The Dubai Sevens will take place between 30 November and 2 December, with coach Neil Powell set to announce his 12-man squad for the tournament next Friday.

With the exception of the injured Dylan Sage, the rest of the squad are all available for selection to Powell.

‘It has been a great couple of weeks in camp and the guys have really being putting in the hard work,’ Dry commented. ‘We were pushing new boundaries and I think the fact that there is so much competition for slots in the team contributed to that.

‘There are lots of experienced players in the squad yes, but we are being pushed by some very talented youngsters, something that is very important in the continued development of the squad,’ he added.

Back from a stint the Cheetahs, Dry says he has reverted his focus back to the abbreviated form of the game, and to Blitzboks’ new campaign.

‘It has been an exciting camp so far – Dubai is around the corner and the guys are looking to deliver a good performance again. Still, there is some work to be done and we will again put in the hard yards next week, in our final week of prep before we leave for Dubai.’

The 29-year-old, who has played in 62 tournaments, could achieve some personal milestones in the new series, including that of becoming the most capped Blitzbok of all time, a record that is currently held by Frankie Horne, with 68. He is also closing in on 300 matches for the team (298) and 100 tries (91).

‘There’s no chance of me worrying about those stats. It always was and always will be team first and when I get to those numbers mentioned, I will get there and perhaps reflect. For now, it is about making the squad and then the focus will move on to Dubai and our first pool match,’ Dry explained. 

The Springbok Sevens team will be announced at their base in Stellenbosch 24 November.

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