Rugby Sevens: South Africa's Selvyn Davids aiming for perfection

Growing up in what is considered a Mecca for surfers from around the world, Selvyn Davids proved to be more adept on land, where he conjures magic with his fleet-footed antics on the global rugby sevens circuit.

The 28-year-old's exploits in the abbreviated format of the sport have earned him the admiration of fans from his native South Africa and worldwide.

Davids is among the big names at the 2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town (9-11 September), where he is a key part of the Blitzboks' campaign to claim the coveted men's title for the first time. The prospect of playing at home, in front of his family and compatriots, left Davids emotional on the eve of the tournament.

"My family is one of the reasons I do this, especially my mother, who has endured so much for me to be here. I always get emotional when I think of it. It's not always that my family gets to see me play in real life," Davids said about the significance of playing in a World Cup at home.

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From barefoot talent to big-name baller

Since his early days of playing barefoot rugby in the Eastern Cape, Davids has traded his dream of representing his country in the 15-man game for one where he has become one of the finest attacking players in the shortened format.

Davids has racked up some impressive accolades in the six years since becoming a regular member of the Blitzboks. These include a bronze medal at the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens, two World Sevens Series titles and most recently, the Commonwealth Games gold medal.

In the world of rugby, Davids may be considered 'small' in terms of physical attributes, but what he lacks in brawn, he more than makes up with a full spectrum of remarkable skills. Davids can step off both feet, which allows him to dance his way past the opposition or beat them with his blistering pace. To round off his impressive repertoire, Davids also boasts an exceptional kicking game out of hand and for points.

Davids was identified as a phenomenal talent in his early years, earning provincial colours at every age-group level and looking set for a glittering career playing for a region considered the heartland of black South African rugby.

The full bag of tricks he now possesses was formed in his early years playing football for local clubs and excelling on the track in the 100m and 200m sprint events.

“I think I inherited some of my dad’s speed – he was a South African Schools athlete in the 400m,” Davids told You Magazine.

“He worked in the post office and I’ve been (nicknamed) 'The Post' ever since.”

Failing to launch

The rising star produced one dazzling display after another but was left without a contract after a few games for the Eastern Province union in 2014. Forced to reassess his future, a 20-year-old Davids looked for a job while pursuing his passion playing for a small-town club.

"I hadn't fully canned the idea of playing professionally, but all I wanted at that point was to earn an income, so looking for a job and staying active at Despatch seemed logical," Davids told SA Rugby Mag.

Davids could not find full-time employment, but his performances on the rugby field proved good enough to finally earn a contract with one of the smaller rugby unions of South Africa's interior.

Sevens career calling

Life would ultimately lead Davids to his calling as a sevens supremo after making an impression at the South African Rugby Interprovincial sevens tournament in Nelspruit in 2016.

His magic caught the eye of the SA Rugby Sevens Acadamy coach, who pulled Davids into the development stream of the country's Sevens programme. After a short stint with the academy, Davids finally received a call-up into the South Africa 7s men's squad - known as the Blitzboks - and made his debut at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2017 as a replacement to Rosko Specman. Davids got injured in the tournament and had to wait until 2018 for a regular berth.

“At my Hong Kong debut I decided I only wanted to play sevens from now on. I like the fast game – it’s exciting,” he told You Magazine. “Also, my body isn’t quite big enough for 15-man rugby.”

Davids has since established himself as one of the stalwarts of the Blitzbok team playing an integral part in their successes in the World Sevens Series and at major tournaments such as the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, and the Olympic Games. He is one of only three surviving members that won bronze at the previous World Cup, playing in the home tournament in Cape Town.

Davids was instrumental in South Africa’s campaign at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021. He scored four tries and slotted five conversions before he got injured in their ill-fated quarterfinal match against Argentina. The defeat ended South Africa’s hopes of adding more silverware to the bronze they won at the inaugural sevens competition in Rio 2016, bowing out in fifth place.

“You always want to be on the field, in the heat of the battle with your brothers, but I could not do so. Up to that stage, it was going so well for me and the team," told SA Rugby.

“I really enjoyed our opening match (against Ireland). Just to be on the field again, playing at that level was a great feeling, and running out after such a long time was very satisfying.”

As one of the stalwarts of the team, the Blitzboks will rely heavily on Davids in future campaigns, including the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where the team will have their sights set on upgrading their Rio 2016 bronze to gold.