Blitzboks captain Impi Visser says Dubai feels like a second home for them, as South Africa set out to successfully defend their Dubai SVNS crown this weekend.
Visser leads the team in the absence of injured regular skipper Selwyn Davids and says: “Dubai feels like a second home for us, with many South African fans here.
“Maybe it’s the excitement of a new season starting, but we always seem to jump the gun and be fast starters in Dubai. Hopefully we can do that again this weekend and continue it throughout the season. We want to build consistency and it starts this weekend in Dubai for us.”
South Africa have indeed been dominant in Dubai, winning the last five tournaments in the desert to take their overall tally to 11 wins – the most in the tournament’s history.
The Blitzboks have been handed a tough draw, facing Australia at 8.50am, Kenya at 12.58pm and France at 6.44pm in their pool tomorrow before the final day on Sunday.
Visser reckons they are ready to go, saying: “We had a nice little break after the Olympics, a chance to celebrate the medal, but then we got back into a tough pre-season and I think our fitness level is good.
“We’re excited to get going, it’s always a really great atmosphere in Dubai with everyone dressed up. We have a very tough pool, so we’re going to have to get stuck in and just give it everything in every game.”