Blitzbok ace James Murphy is ready to channel his inner Spiderman at the Sevens World Cup at Cape Town Stadium on the weekend.
Murphy, 26, who only started playing rugby after school, is fully aware of the expectation weighing on coach Neil Powell’s team as South Africa look to win their first Sevens World Cup.
This is what it means to the men to represent our country on home soil.
— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) September 7, 2022
Let’s get behind Team South Africa on their #RWC7s road to gold. 🏅#BestOfUs pic.twitter.com/hR03HCZ7H3
Playing in the Mother City, Murphy says in a video released on the team’s social media platforms: “It’s so special to put that [Springbok] jersey on, knowing you’ve got the nation on your shoulders, your family…
“That quote from SpiderMan about a certain type of responsibility that comes with power [comes to mind] and I think this jersey carries certain superpowers that it gives to people. And as they say, with great power comes responsibility.”
The Blitzboks will not only play to make the country proud, but have an extra incentive in that the tournament marks the end of the line for coach Neil Powell in the camp.
Coach Renfred Dazel reflecting on the mood in the camp.#BestOfUs #RWC7s pic.twitter.com/jjjJztalph
— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) September 7, 2022
Powell will be joining the Sharks coaching staff after this tournament, with assistant coach Renfred Dazel saying: “We have seven guys who actually have not played at the Cape Town Stadium and added to that, the emotions of Neil’s last tournament are also at play…”