A veteran of Blitzbok thought the Sevens career was over

Cape Town – Standing knee, struggling desperately against the pain of a torn ligament in the knee, Kyle Brown saw the checkered flag of his Blitzboks his career being hectic, while he was lying on the ground of the Singapore National Stadium.

The 30-year-old striker had just suffered a serious injury at his 65th tournament for South Africa – very similar to the injury he had suffered at Cape Town Sevens in 2016 – and the # The idea came to Brown that his 327th match for his beloved country was his last.

After the injury in Cape Town, Brown missed the rest of the 2017 season in which the Springbok Sevens won the World Rugby Sevens Series title. This is the second time that Brown discovers the glory of the World Rugby Sevens Series, since he had just made his entry into the ranks of the Blitzboks when they won the title for the first time in the History in 2008/09.

His recovery was difficult, but Brown knew he had to travel and seven tournaments, including the Commonwealth Games, justified the sacrifices he had made.

When the Blitzboks won the World Rugby Sevens Series again, even more. This time though, again broken on a rugby pitch, Brown heard a lot of voices in his head.

"To be honest, I thought that was why I would call it one day if I could get through the season unscathed," Brown said at the end of April.

At the beginning of his recovery process, the will and the desire to overcome the odds became stronger and stronger.

And that finally came to fruition – a second time – when Neil Powell appointed him to the team to travel to Dubai for the opening match of the 2018 World Rugby Sevens series. 19.

"It was an incredible feeling," Brown said.

"SAS medical staff and management have been great. We had taken up the challenge of playing again in Dubai and I am very happy to have been able to make it happen.

"The return to the fold gives me the perfect opportunity to spend more time on this field with this amazing group of people and to do something with them that we all love: throw the rugby ball a bit."

Brown's return could not be more conducive than to The Sevens, the homeland of rugby in Dubai, where he debuted a decade ago as a fresh-faced flanker with a mule.

"Yes, that's nine World Series tournaments and one World Cup here since, so I had a lot of fun in this place," said Brown smiling at the start of the team's preparation for the big event that will start on Friday The Blitzboks face Zimbabwe, Samoa and Argentina in Pool A.

"Dubai is a beautiful setting for playing rugby. The weather is nice, the crowd is superb and we have a good support here. It's a special place on the circuit without a doubt, "added Brown of where he won three gold medals in nine tournaments.

Brown feels that the energy is growing: "A lot of teams just want to start their season, maybe even just to get out of the preseason, because it can be horrible. But we train enough to be ready and this is the first opportunity we have to play. "

Play – now it's a word that Brown uses with a broad smile.

"I do not think there is much expectation on my part, I just have to let my legs pump up and do my part. We have an amazing team with great players and I have to make sure I do my part, "Brown said as he moved away for kickoff exercises.