Zintle Mpupha will captain the Springbok Women's Sevens side when they open their HSBC SVNS World Championship campaign at Estadio Jose Zorrilla in Valladolid on Friday, with the team carrying genuine confidence despite fresh disruptions in the lead-up to the tournament.

Shinadine Bezuidenhout fell ill after arriving in Spain and required hospital treatment, while Lerato Makua sits out the first two pool matches — against USA and Australia — serving a suspension earned in Hong Kong. Those setbacks follow an already difficult Hong Kong opener, where the squad was short five players through injury and several members, including Mpupha and Eloise Webb, were transitioning back from the fifteens environment.

South Africa currently sits 12th on the World Championship standings after Hong Kong, where a pool victory over Great Britain was the solitary highlight. Mpupha points to that win as evidence of what the squad is capable of.

"The victory over GB meant a lot as they were a core team on the HSBC SVNS Series this year," said Mpupha. "That is something we took to heart in preparing for this one."

The improved preparation block is the key difference Mpupha identifies heading into Pool B, which also includes Fiji. "We had good time to prepare back home and got stuck into our way of play and game plan," she said. "We are in a much better position to execute what coach Cecil [Afrika] is expecting from the squad."

The returns of Vianca Boer and Patience Mokone from injury have bolstered the squad, with both players having featured extensively on the circuit earlier in the season. South Africa have beaten USA and Fiji in their most recent meetings with each side, though Australia remain unbeaten opposition.

Mpupha also highlighted the familiarity of the Spanish conditions as a factor in their favour. Around 80 percent of the squad have played in Spain previously, and the heat — which will be a feature of the weekend — suits the side. "The crowd is also appreciative of the women's game, so we will feed off that support," she said.

"Often it is just the bounce of a rugby ball that determines a result and we will come close I believe. We feel positive about the weekend."