Lo ngunyaka wokuqala esizakuthi sibone ngawo iqela lesizwe leBlitzbokke lithatha inxaxheba kwimidlalo yeOlimpiki eRio. Kwaye siyibonile iBlitzbokke isiba lithemba labadlali abamnyama kumbhoxo wesizwe kule minyaka idlulileyo. Abadlali abakhumbulekayo nguMzandile Stick noSeabelo Senatla ukuza kuthi ga ngoku.
IBlitzbokke isaqhuba njengeqonga lokuba abadlali abamnyama bafumane ithuba lokunxiba imibala yesizwe. Ebutsheni bale veki inzalelwane yaseMthatha, eneminyaka eyi-23 uSiviwe Soyizwaphi, ube ngomnye wabadlali abamnyama abafumene iqonga lokuzibonakalisa kwiqela lesizwe. UShakes uzakuba yinxalenye yabadlali beBlitzbokke abazakudlala kwiHong Kong Sevens ezakuqala namhlanje.
Itumente yale mpelaveki ibaluleke kakhulu kwiBlitzbokke kuba yiyo eza kucacisa ukuba abafana bakaNeil Powell bangakwazi na ukubuya nembasa eRio. Ukuze lenyuke izinga lokuzithemba kweBlitzboks, kufuneka baqale ngokuphumelela kwezi tumente zeeSevens. Imidlalo yale mpelaveki yiyo ezakubonakalisa ukuba kumaxa zindawoni iiBlitzboks. Eli qela lalapha eMzantsi Afrika lisemva ngenqaku elinye kwiFiji ehleli kwindawo yokuqala, kwaye lishiya iNew Zealand ekwindawo yesithathu ngenqaku elinye. Kushiyeke imijikelo emine ngoku kolu luhlu lemidlalo, loo nto ithetha ukuba kuza kushiyana oomama ukondla ukuya kutsho ekugqibeleni.
Abafana bakaPowell bayiqale kakuhle kakhulu le sizini ngokuphumelela imidlalo eyayidlalelwa kweli loMzantsi Afrika, kwaye bakwazile ukujika kwimidlalo ephambili kwamagqibela kankqoyi kwiitumente zangaphandle. Kubalulekile ke ukuba iBlitzbokke iphumelele kwitumente yale mpelaveki ukuba bafuna ukuvula umsantsa phakathi kwabo neFiji kunye neNew Zealand.
Kodwa xa sijonga imbali, ayikho ngakwicala leBlitzbokke kuba zange ziphumelele eHong Kong kule minyaka idlulileyo, kungona bazibonakalisayo ukuba banawo amandla ngoku sele luphakathi ukhuphiswano.
Kuvulwe isikolo esixabisa iR106-million KwaMaxhama