With his mechanical engineering studies done and dusted the former UP-Tuks rugby player, Impi Visser, has his sights now firmly set on trying to help the Blitzboks qualify for next year's Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Over the past few weeks, Visser enjoyed plenty thrills and spills helping the Blitzbokke win tournaments in Vancouver and Singapore, but it will never just be about rugby for him. Yesterday he graduated at the University of Pretoria with a degree in mechanical engineering.

He considers it as significant as any try he could ever score for the Blitzbokke or any tournament victory he might be part of as he fully realises that any rugby career only can last so long. 

"Being a student and playing rugby was not always easy. At times it became a real juggling act to find time to do both. I am grateful for the support from my coaches and lectures."

When he got his call-up to play national sevens rugby, he faced a real dilemma. It meant he had to move to Stellenbosch. 

"I truly appreciate the way the dean of the University of Pretoria's Mechanical Engineering Department was prepared to go the proverbial extra mile to help me sort things out."

For now, Visser is planning only to play rugby. 

"I will probably keep on playing for as long as my body holds up or the day my passion for the game 'dies'," said Visser who played for the UP-Tuks team that won the Varsity Cup Tournament in 2017.

The name Impi is unusual. It is easy to think that it might have to do with him being a true warrior on the field, which he is; however, his name has nothing to do with his on-field heroics.

Impi is his real name and not a nickname, and it goes back to the Anglo Boer War when the eldest sons of his mother’s side of the family, the Brecher’s, were given that name.

Visser made his debut for the Blitzboks in 2018 in Dubai and since went on to represent the team in another seven tournaments. 

With the Paris and London Tournaments remaining Visser is taking nothing for granted. 

"Quite a few our more experienced players have recovered from the injuries so it would be foolish to rest on one's laurels."

The Blitzboks are currently only fourth on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series-standings. The USA is the log leaders with 145 points, with Fiji second on 142 points and New Zealand third with 130 points. South Africa has got 121 points; however, Visser is confident they can overtake the Kiwis. 

"It is not going to be easy, but I think our performance in the last few tournaments showed that we are starting to gel as a team. The beginning of the year was difficult as we were sort of in a rebuilding phase still battling to find out which combinations work best.

"If we manage to overtake New Zealand it would be great as only the four best teams automatically qualify for next year's Games."

Leroux Hamman, 2016 Olympian and former South African 400m-hurdles champion, and Tobie Snyman who won a bronze medal in the judo during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow also graduated as mechanical engineers yesterday.