Five trips to Hong Kong. Five times Zain Davids has left the iconic stadium without silverware. But the seasoned Blitzbok believes this weekend presents the perfect opportunity to finally break that unwanted streak as South Africa prepare to launch their HSBC Sevens Championship campaign with a clean slate and renewed purpose.
The 28-year-old veteran, who will be competing in his 58th HSBC Sevens tournament, has seen and done it all in the circuit. Bronze, silver and gold medals adorn his trophy cabinet, and podium finishes around the globe have become routine. Yet Hong Kong remains the one venue that has stubbornly refused to yield to his considerable talents.
That could all change this weekend.
“We are starting this Championship at the same venue and with no log points,” Davids told KickOff.com from Hong Kong, where the Blitzboks are fine-tuning preparations for their Pool A encounters against Uruguay, Spain and Argentina.
“What happened in the past counts for nothing, but what happens this weekend will. We have never won here, fair enough, but that is not consuming us. What we want is to be on the same page, execute our game plan as one, and take it one game at a time. For now, that is Uruguay, and from there on in, we’ll take each challenge as it comes.”
Fresh legs, fresh mindset
Davids returns to action after missing the Vancouver and New York double-header, a strategic rest period that was mapped out at the beginning of the season by coach Philip Snyman. But whilst some players might have used the time off to put their feet up, the Blitzbok star made it clear that “rest” in the South African Sevens programme is a relative term.
“You always want to play in every tournament, but coach Philip laid out his plans to the senior guys at the beginning of the season and explained rest periods and recovery times, so we all knew that we could be rested along the way,” Davids explained.
“I use the word rested in italics, as our strength and conditioning coach, Ghafoer Luckan, keeps a very sharp eye on our prescribed fitness programme, even when we are not travelling and he is away with the team.”
The meticulous approach has paid dividends. Davids was instrumental during the recently completed HSBC SVNS Series, enjoying the euphoria of trophy lifts in Cape Town and Perth.
“So, I am fit and ready for this one. I’m feeling refreshed and keen to get another trophy win,” he declared.
What makes this Hong Kong tournament particularly intriguing is the format. With all teams starting on zero points in the Championship phase, there’s no room for complacency, no margin for error, and no hiding place for sides that don’t bring their A-game from the opening whistle.
For the Blitzboks, it’s an opportunity to reset after dominating large portions of the regular series. Pool A won’t be a cakewalk, with Uruguay, Spain and Argentina all capable of causing upsets on the day, but Davids and his teammates are backing themselves to navigate the challenge..
