After many years of waiting, the Springbok Sevens’ first Olympic Games campaign is done and dusted. Some may lament the fact that the team fell short in the semi-finals and ultimately failed to win the gold medal.Many more will appreciate the magnitude of the Blitzboks’ achievement in the third-place playoff against Japan, in the context of Team SA’s overall medal count and in the context of the SA rugby team’s record at Olympic tournaments.The Blitzboks did their part to boost Team SA’s medal tally. Kyle Brown’s side will go down in history as the first SA rugby side to win an Olympic medal. (The 15-man rugby union game was an Olympic sport from 1900 to 1924 and sevens was included this year for the first time.) SA travelled to Rio de Janeiro with lofty expectations. They finished the 2015-2016 World Rugby Sevens Series second behind Fiji, yet the coaches and players felt confident about their chances of winning gold at the Olympics.Head coach Neil Powell highlighted the balance be...
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