South Africa coach Neil Powell believes his side is in good hands as he prepares to hand over the reigns. Picture: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby, BackpagePix
Cape Town - Neil Powell is confident that his Blitzboks will be in good hands once he departs shortly after the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.
The 44-year-old will be heading to Durban in September to to take over as the Sharks director of rugby after a history-making run with the Springbok Sevens side.
Powell took over from former coach Paul Treu in 2013.
Under Powell, the Blitzboks have become a juggernaut on the world stage.
🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦 A proud and relieved Neil Powell has heaped praise on the Blitzbok players for their Birmingham brilliance this weekend - more here: https://t.co/sLuQ5lX7Bp@TeamSA2024 #BestOfUs pic.twitter.com/dEGb7N2f2Q
— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) August 1, 2022
Since 2013, they have won three World Series titles and top the standings with one tournament remaining in the current Series.
They have also claimed two Commonwealth Games gold medals (2014 and 2022), and at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where Sevens made its Olympic debut, the Blitzboks became the first South African team to win a medal – bronze – in the code at the showpiece.
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The team also strung together a remarkable 36-match unbeaten run, which ended in April.
“It’s becoming more of a reality, to be honest," Powell said of his looming departure. "I had my moments during the Commonwealth Games (in Birmingham). It does become difficult, knowing that this will come to an end in a few weeks’ time. It’s obviously a special system and there are special people, but in saying that, I am also ready for a new challenge.
"I have done what I can and gave what I could to the system. It’s time for a new challenge and a new environment, but it is tough and it does become more real as we get closer to the time.”
While Powell’s successor is still to be announced, the former Blitzboks skipper showed confidence in what's to come.
“Whoever is going to take over, the team will be in good hands. They will just build on what we have already achieved in the system. It’s going to be strange to be sitting on this side of the TV, watching the Springbok Sevens play because I’ve been part of it for the last 15 years," he said.
“But I know that the guys who take over the coaching responsibilities will look after the system, both from a cultural perspective and an on-field perspective.”
Powell's final assignments in charge will be the final leg of the World Series, to be held in Los Angeles on 27 and 28 August, and the World Cup from September 9 to 11.
On the LA tournament, which precedes World Cup by only two weeks, Powell said: “If we had a choice, we obviously would have loved to have more time in between the two because as we know from experience from previous World Series events, coming back from LA or Canada, it does take a while for you to get over the jetlag," Powell explained.
“In saying that, the group that we have in LA is probably the best preparation we can get for the World Cup. Our first game will be against America, then we have Canada and New Zealand in the final game. If we make it through the pool stages, we could face Fiji or Ireland. It’s nice and tough.
“It’s a massive challenge and I think if we can get through that and still keep our momentum and our confidence, it will contribute massively to what we want to achieve at the World Cup, which will be a straight knock-out ... there are no second chances.”