Afternoon Drive withJoanne Joseph

SA Rugby Sevens Academy manager Marius Schoeman is on a mission to grow the starts of the future.

The national scout says he wants to leave behind a legacy by improving the platforms available for talented players.

Schoeman is the high-performance manager of the Blitzbokke and one of the greats of Sevens rugby.

Schoeman is dedicated to finding the brightest young stars on the local schoolboy scene.

The former Sevens star says that the hardships he faced while growing up have motivated him to give back.

He attended Paarl Gimnasium, a top rugby school which now hosts an annual sevens tournament named after him.

The Marius Schoeman Sevens Festival has become the biggest school's sevens tournament in the world.

Proceeds from the event go towards sporting outreach programmes and paying for school fees, Schoeman says.

I had quite a tough childhood... Growing up and getting those opportunities on my journey inspired me to help those in need today.

— Marius Schoeman, Manager - SA Rugby Sevens Academy

Being involved with Sevens for the past 20 years has been such a great platform.

— Marius Schoeman, Manager - SA Rugby Sevens Academy

I grabbed every opportunity with both hands and now I'm trying to give back for what I got.

— Marius Schoeman, Manager - SA Rugby Sevens Academy

They supported me in tough times, I always knew I wanted to give something back to the school.

— Marius Schoeman, Manager - SA Rugby Sevens Academy

At the end of my career, together with Neil Powell, we planned and started the Sevens Academy which gave more youngsters to come in the system and become professional rugby players.

— Marius Schoeman, Manager - SA Rugby Sevens Academy

We want to leave this place in the better position for the next guy.

— Marius Schoeman, Manager - SA Rugby Sevens Academy

He says exciting times are ahead with the Rugby World Cup Sevens hosted in Cape Town in 2022.

Listen to Marius Schoeman On The Yellow Couch with Pippa Hudson:

Image: Screengrab from Official Springbok YouTube.

This article first appeared on CapeTalk : Sevens great Marius Schoeman hellbent on giving back to upcoming rugby talent