Rugby Legend Cecil Afrika on What He is Looking Forward to At Upcoming Africa Women's 7s in Kenya

South African rugby great Cecil Afrika is set to reconnect with Kenyan legends Collins Injera and Andrew Amonde during this weekend's Africa Women's 7s tournament in Nairobi.

While his primary focus is guiding the South African women's team, the Lady Boks, Afrika expressed his excitement about catching up with his former rivals from the Shujaa squad.

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"I have been to Kenya before and played here. I am looking forward to meeting up with some of the players I knew from my playing days, like Collins Injera and Andrew Amonde," said Afrika, who was named the 2010/11 IRB Sevens Player of the Year to Capital FM.

The 37-year-old, who retired from playing in 2020, boasts a decorated career. He secured an Olympic bronze medal with South Africa in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow two years prior. On a personal level, Afrika remains his country's all-time leading try scorer in sevens rugby with 179 tries.

However, his immediate task is to lead the Lady Boks in their title defense. The team claimed the crown at last year's event in Accra, Ghana, with a 17-10 victory over Kenya. As the record champions, having won 11 of the last 13 tournaments, the pressure is on.

Afrika acknowledged the high expectations but remains confident in his team's ability to handle the pressure and perform.

"There will always be pressure coming into this tournament, but our focus is on our first game, which will be against Mauritius. Then, we will take it from there," stated Afrika to a local publication, who started his playing career at Griffons.

The coach also believes that strong support from the stands could provide a crucial advantage. He issued a call to the South African community in Kenya to fill the RFUEA Grounds and cheer on the team.

"To the South African community living in Kenya, please come out and support the girls. It would mean so much to have you in the crowd rallying behind them on Saturday and Sunday," he urged.

The defending champions are drawn in Pool A, where they will face Mauritius and neighboring Zimbabwe.