When Zain Davids first pulled on the green and gold jersey of the Springbok Sevens in Wellington, New Zealand, on January 28, 2017, he felt like the proudest person alive.
Fast forward eight years, and this Friday, he’ll be floating on cloud nine again as he takes to the field for his 50th HSBC Sevens World Series tournament, this time in Perth.
“Debuting for the first time was the greatest feeling of my life,” the 27-year-old said from Perth, where his team is gearing up for the third tournament of the 2025 season.
“It was the first time I got to live my dream of playing for my country on the rugby field. But even now, running out for my 50th, it’s almost just as special. I never thought I’d make it this far, but here I am.”
For Davids, the real joy lies in the fact that he’s still living the dream.
“What’s incredible is that I’m still loving every moment of it. I’m playing for such an amazing team with an amazing group of guys. I’m grateful to be doing this for my country, for my family, and for all the supporters who back us.”
By making his 50th appearance, Davids joins an elite list of 10 Blitzboks players who’ve reached this milestone.
And for the co-captain this weekend, it’s just another achievement to add to a list that includes World Series titles, a Commonwealth Games gold, and an Olympic Games bronze.
“But the most important thing for me is to keep doing my job and not let the team down,” Davids said.
“We have one goal this weekend – to keep improving after our win in the last tournament. The format is a bit different this time, with the return of the quarter-finals, but our mentality stays the same.”
“We’re here to win. We’re looking to take it up a notch and build on our performance from Cape Town.”
In the forwards, Davids will be joined by familiar faces like Ryan Oosthuizen and Siviwe Soyizwapi, both of whom are also in the 50+ tournament club. On the flip side, newcomer Zander Reynders will be making just his second appearance, after debuting in Cape Town.
“Zander’s going to be just fine – he knows how to play the game. We just need to use our experience to help him settle in,” Davids said.
“With the experienced guys around him, the forwards’ dynamics won’t change much. He’ll do well.”
Blitzboks with 50 or more World Series tournaments:
- 85: Branco du Preez
- 74: Chris Dry
- 69: Kyle Brown
- 68: Frankie Horne
- 66: Cecil Afrika
- 62: Philip Snyman
- 60: Justin Geduld
- 55: Siviwe Soyizwapi
- 51: Ryan Oosthuizen, Werner Kok
Blitzboks’ Pool A fixtures:
Friday, 24 January (SA times)
08h23: USA
13h52: Australia
Saturday 25 January
07h50: Argentina