Cape Town - A number of Blitzboks stars will be focusing on XV-man rugby when the World Rugby Sevens Series gets underway in the next couple of weeks.

With Cecil Afrika missing the opening round in Dubai at the end of the month with a hamstring injury, SA Rugby have also confirmed that Sevens coach Neil Powell will be without a number of other of his stalwarts.

Seabelo Senatla, Kwagga Smith, Dylan Sage, Ruhan Nel, Rhyno Smith and Tim Agaba are all "done with sevens for now" and have all committed to playing XV-man rugby and will instead be preparing for Super Rugby 2019 during pre-season.

Nel is currently with the Springboks on their northern hemisphere tour.

The Cape Town Sevens, meanwhile, will take place over the weekend of December 8/9.

Blitzboks training squad:

Chris Dry, Impi Visser, Ryan Oosthuizen, Philip Snyman, Zain Davids, Kyle Brown, Selvyn Davids, Dewald Human, Justin Geduld, Werner Kok, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Stedman Gans, Cecil Afrika, Rosko Specman, Branco du Preez, Muller du Plessis, Mfundo Ndhlovu, James Murphy, JC Pretorius