Optimism High for German Rugby Sevens Team in HSBC Challenger Series
In the lead up to the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 in Munich, Germany, the national rugby sevens team captain, John Dawe, expressed optimism after the opening match. The German squad is aiming to secure a spot in the final four of the HSBC Challenger Series, which would earn them a place in the HSBC SVNS circuit promotion play-off next month in Madrid.
“It’s a massive boost [the home crowd]. It’s amazing to have a home tournament,” Dawe told RugbyPass.
The home crowd advantage at the Dantestadion in Munich has not been lost on Dawe, who acknowledged the significant boost the local support provides. He further praised the German rugby community, stating that while the population is small, they turn up in force to support the team, which is “amazing.”
In their opening match, Germany defeated Georgia 28-10, a result that had Dawe “very happy for the boys.” He emphasized the importance of starting the high-pressure tournament strongly, as it can quickly slip away.
“The first game’s always hard to know what’s going to come but yeah, very happy for the boys. We started well and we were talking all week about starting this game strong, because in these sort of high-pressure tournaments, they can get away from you very quickly, so we’re very happy with the win.”
Looking ahead, Dawe is refusing to get ahead of himself, knowing the team’s recent history of falling short in the final stages of the shortened format.
“It’s a cliche isn’t it, but as soon as we start looking further ahead is when we start to mess up, so, we’re just taking it game by game and then from there we hope everything goes well for us and everything comes into line and we’re able to get into the top four this weekend.”
The next challenge for Germany is a clash with Papua New Guinea later today, as they aim to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
“The next big one is Papua New Guinea. We’re going to rest up now and focus on recovery. A bit of switch off, see our family and friends and then focus hard on the next game, because as soon as we get two, we’re already through in the quarters, so that’s great for us.”
Overall, the German rugby sevens team, led by captain John Dawe, are determined to make the most of their home advantage in Munich and secure a spot in the final four of the HSBC Challenger Series, which would open the door for a promotion play-off berth in the HSBC SVNS circuit.
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