South Africa's 2026 World Deaf Rugby Sevens Team, supported by ADS
ADS partners with the South African Deaf Rugby Association to support Team South Africa’s journey to the Tokyo 2026 World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championships
17 September 2026, Johannesburg, South Africa: South Africa is once again heading to the highest levels of competitive rugby as SA Deaf Rugby’s Team South Africa prepare to compete at the 2026 World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championships.
Altron Document Solutions (ADS), through the Xerox brand, has partnered with the South African Deaf Rugby Association (SADRA) to support Team South Africa’s participation in the international sporting championship, taking place in Tokyo from 31 October to 3 November 2026.
Preparing to win
The tournament will bring together deaf rugby players from around the world to compete at the highest level of the sport. Team South Africa’s players will compete without hearing aids or cochlear implants on the field, relying instead on visual communication, spatial awareness, trust, and exceptional teamwork.
Team South Africa came close to a medal finish in 2023, placing 4th at the World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championships in Argentina. Roelof Kotze, SA Deaf Rugby Coach, says the team is ready and has been building on that momentum.
“We’ve had three years to prepare for this moment, and we’re going to Japan as a very different team from the one that arrived in Argentina in 2023. Back then, we were going in completely blind. None of us had ever competed internationally before, so we didn’t really know what to expect at that level. Despite that, we came incredibly close to a medal. Since then, we’ve trained, grown as a team, and hosted another international tournament on home soil in 2024. For some of our players, Japan will now be their third international tournament, and that experience is invaluable.”
Meet the squad
Kotze has announced his squad, which will be led by team captain Marnus Dercksen. Along his side will be Riemerd Spreeth, Johan Liebenberg, Enrico Abrahams, Admar Claassen, Lucien Famer, Rodwin Beyers, Leon Willemans, Marchello Petro, Patrick Motothwa, Boitshepo Motlhala, and Gregory Adelaar.
“Having captained South Africa at the 2023 World Deaf Rugby Sevens in Argentina, I know how close we came to bringing home a medal. Missing out narrowly has stayed with us, and this time we’re going to Japan with one goal: we’re chasing that medal. There’s a lot of excitement in the team, but we also know there’s a job to do. We’ve prepared well, we’ve got a great bunch of boys who are ready to give everything for each other, and we can’t wait to pull on that South African jersey and make our country proud,” said Marnus Dercksen, SA Deaf Rugby Captain.
They will compete in the 3rd World Deaf Rugby Sevens, facing 11 other teams from Australia, Fiji, England, Japan, Ghana, Italy, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Samoa, a grouping of international players playing as The Barbarians, and defending champions Wales.
“For the players earning their first cap, they aren’t new to competitive rugby. They play week in and week out for hearing clubs across South Africa, so they understand the level of preparation, physicality, and commitment required to compete against the best. We know what’s coming this time. We know what it takes, and now it’s about going out there, performing and showing just how far South African Deaf Rugby has come,” said Kotze.
Backing Talent
ADS, through Xerox, are supporting Team South Africa from the training field to the try line as an official sponsor.
Managing Director of ADS, Yolanden Moodley, says the partnership is deeply personal and rooted in a shared belief that access to opportunity should never limit talent.
“When you watch our South African Deaf Rugby players compete, what strikes you isn’t what they can’t do; it’s the absolute commitment, the skill, the hunger to compete on the world stage, and the way they read the game differently. These athletes deserve to be there in Tokyo; they’ve earned it, and they should be celebrated as exceptional rugby players who are deaf and have extraordinary abilities. That’s why we’re supporting SADRA and, for us, it’s not complicated. We’re backing talent, we’re backing opportunity and we’re backing the idea that if you’ve got the skill and the heart, you should get your shot and the resources to take it.”
The partnership builds on ADS’ long-standing commitment to South African rugby and its belief in creating opportunities that enable people to reach their full potential. Through the Xerox brand, the organisation has supported the sport for over three decades, from grassroots development to the national stage. Its partnership with SADRA builds on this legacy while recognising the extraordinary talent, determination and commitment of South Africa’s Deaf rugby players.
SADRA Vice President Lauren Terras says the team has embraced a powerful narrative that celebrates the extraordinary abilities of its players.
“We see our players as superheroes with extraordinary abilities. When one sense is absent, other senses can become more finely tuned. In the deaf space, our players rely heavily on sight and are highly attuned to what is happening visually around them. That heightened visual awareness creates opportunities in the way they read space and anticipate play on the field. In Sevens rugby, where the game is incredibly fast-paced and space can open up in an instant, that ability to see and read the game differently can be a real strength.
“Our players have an exceptional awareness of movement, positioning, and opportunity, and that is something we believe gives them a unique advantage in how they approach the game. Beyond the tournament, the partnership with ADS represents a shared commitment to building sustainable pathways for deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes in South Africa.”
Creating opportunity and challenging perceptions
While deaf athletes may face unique challenges in competitive sport, many of the greatest barriers relate to access to resources, development opportunities, and meaningful inclusion. SADRA is working to address these challenges by creating opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing players to develop their skills, compete and represent South Africa internationally.
“SADRA is doing important work in creating pathways and changing what inclusion looks like in South African sport,” Yolanden Moodley added. “We are proud to stand alongside the organisation and the athletes who continue to prove that ability, determination and character are what define sporting excellence.”
As Team South Africa prepares for Tokyo, ADS is proud to stand alongside SADRA in supporting a team that represents the power of sport to challenge perceptions, create opportunity and demonstrate that talent knows no limits.
