Russian outfit Zastava have announced the acquisition of sevens star Ricardo Duarttee, casting more doubt on the playmaker’s Blitzboks future.
The 26-year-old has linked up with Zastava, coached by former Blitzbok Vuyo Zangqa, for the third and fourth rounds of the Russian Rugby 7 Championship, reads a brief statement on the club’s website.
It concluded: “We welcome Ricardo and look forward to playing together!”
Having previously sold his car to pay for his enrolment at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport, the Stellenberg High alum shared the news of his move on social media.
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Duarttee, who was named Springbok Men’s Sevens Player of the Year last week, was released from the SA Sevens squad after the Vancouver Sevens in February, for “personal reasons”, according to a media statement from SA Rugby.
However, according to a report by Netwerk24, Duarttee became disillusioned with his role in the Blitzboks team and was “unhappy” that he was mostly used off the bench in Canada. He reportedly told coaches over that weekend that he was no longer available to play.
Duarttee burst onto the scene in 2022, making his debut in that year’s Dubai Sevens and earning the 2022-23 World Rugby Sevens Series Rookie of the Year award.
He has a national contract that runs until the end of 2024, yet was overlooked for the first two tournaments of the current season in Dubai and Cape Town before returning to the squad for the Perth Sevens in January.
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
