When Paul Treu's side steps out onto the pitch at the Outeniqua Park stadium today, not only will the players line up in front of an entire nation of televion viewers, they will also be bidding to impress the coach's own home town support.

Treu would like nothing more than to win in George, the place where he first played the game of rugby.

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In the 10 years since the inception of the IRB Sevens World Series there have been 10 tournaments in South Africa - one in Stellenbosch, two in Durban and now seven in George - but never has the home crowd seen a home Cup success.

Having represented South Africa Sevens as a player, a captain and now a coach, Treu is driven now to succeed.

Treu: We owe it to the people

"There's just something special about the place and about the tournamnent and as a team I think we owe something to the supporters in South Africa," he said.

"We owe something to the people here in George, the people that stay behind, our families and our friends. That's why we're going to try everything in our power to win it here for the first time."

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Bearing in mind the global nature of the Series - effectively a Grand Prix season visiting Dubai, South Africa, New Zealand, the United States of America, Hong Kong, Australia, England and Scotland - it is a quirk of fate that Treu should stand on the touchline in George.

"At first it was a big adjustment for me because I used to play here. I played my last IRB Sevens tournament in George, when I got injured, and when I started as a coach I had to adapt and cope with a lot of pressure and a lot of new things.

"But I've been here as a coach since 2004 and I've learned a lot of things. Now, though, I've got a really special group of players and this weekend I think it's going to take a big effort from the other teams to stop us."

Brothers in arms

In the past there has been the reassuring presence in the dressing room of former team mates - men like Fabian Juries and Marius Schoeman, with whom Treu travelled as brothers in arms. Is it more difficult, then, dealing solely with proteges rather than peers now that those veterans have gone on?

"I have to admit that last week in Dubai was probably the most emotional thing for me, when Marius Schoeman got injured.

"To have a player there, 30 years old, who's been on the circuit for 10 years and crying in the changing room because it could have been his last tournament in Dubai, you're standing there with the player and you realise how much it means to them.

"I can tell you now that Fabian Juries might not be here, but in spirit he is with the team. Jonathan Mokoena and Phillip Burger, Stefan Basson might not be here but they are part of this family.

"That's what we become in Sevens, you become a part of a family and it's very difficult just to leave and forget about everything that's happening. We would like to do it for them. We owe it to them."

In pursuit of destiny

South Africa have every chance of success here this weekend, given the form they showed in Dubai.

Treu makes one change to his squad, Milo Nqoro coming in to replace the unfortunate Schoeman, but the core of the side - and of the starting seven - remains very much intact.

"I think we're confident. I think we believe, each and every player believes in his own ability and in the player next to him.

"I don't think it's about who's going to make it happen. Like we said last week in Dubai, it's about what it's going to take to stop us.

"We are a team in pursuit of purpose, in pursuit of achieving our goals and our destiny and I think we're going to give everything we've got to make it happen."