Blitzboks revival built on culture, consistency and a long view

Almost two weeks ago, on 19 April, the Blitzboks ended a decades-long drought in Hong Kong, thrashing Argentina 35-7 to claim a historic first title in the iconic sevens tournament.

SA have come so close before, having made the final four times without lifting the trophy at the sport’s most prestigious and oldest tournament.

Given their recent form in the SVNS series and with a return to the decider this year, for the first time in nine years, the breakthrough felt overdue.

Still, in a format where anything can change in a matter of seconds, nothing was guaranteed. So when the final whistle blew, head coach Philip Snyman could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“To be honest, straight off the tournament, [I was] more relieved. Obviously very happy with the performance, but a lot of relief,” Snyman told Daily Maverick.

“I’m super proud of the way the guys played, and especially after a tough day one, how the guys came together and made sure that we don’t fall into the same hole again.”

Hong Kong had become a tournament the Blitzboks did not speak about directly; it became a title burdened by near-misses and unspoken expectation.

This time, the team approached it differently.

“In the past, we kind of didn’t want to talk about Hong Kong, about winning Hong Kong,” said Snyman. “We wanted to focus on the processes, and that was still the aim, to focus on the processes, but we said we want to go out, especially after winning the league, we want to be dominant in Hong Kong and we want to win Hong Kong.

“That was actually one of the season’s goals, so we addressed the elephant in the room, and we said let’s make sure we’re happy.”

Blitzboks rebuilding

The Hong Kong title was the latest marker in a rebuild that began two years ago.

In March 2024, Snyman took over as interim head coach, following a series of poor results in the HSBC SVNS series.

Under his guidance, South Africa won the World Rugby Sevens Repechage tournament in Monaco to qualify for the Paris Olympics, where they walked away with the bronze medal.

Having been through the Blitzboks’ most successful eras as a player, Snyman was the ideal man to take on the job permanently and spark a turnaround.

He made his debut in the 2008/2009 season, the season SA won their first World Series title under Paul Treu, and was part of the squad that claimed Olympic bronze in 2016.

He also featured during the side’s dominant 2016 to 2018 stretch, when the Blitzboks reached eight finals in 10 tournaments, and won five tournaments in 2016/2017. They were subsequently crowned overall champions in 2017 and defended their title in 2018.

Read more

Blitzboks complete first step to overall World SVNS series glory

March 16, 2026

That experience shaped Snyman’s priorities as coach, which was to restore the identity that had underpinned the team’s best years.

“I’ve learned from my playing days, I needed to create a healthy culture and a healthy environment,” said Snyman.

“I think going back to the roots of what’s always been a part of the Springbok Sevens success, which was the team culture. So, we really spent a lot of time on that to make sure the small things on-field were right, and also to get the buy-in from all the players.

“We set certain standards and then we believe if you live up to those standards, we’ll have a great team culture, and the results will start looking after themselves.”

On the field, defence has become a key foundation of their success. SA are physically modest in size, so their systems have been built around defensive reads, creating pressure and making strong tackles.

“I take a lot of pride in our defence system,” said Snyman. “We’re not the biggest team on the circuit, so I feel we need to put a lot of emphasis on our defence and to make sure we can man-up and put structures in place to keep teams out.”

Their off-field identity, said Snyman, is based on respect and brotherhood.

“It’s in the way we greet each other, the way we eat together and the way we speak to one another, speak up and not down.

“They care for one another. They know we play for more than just ourselves. We play because it’s more than just the game.

“I think that’s the small things that we’ve put in place and everybody’s buying into that. You can actually see the standards that we set out for ourselves, and the guys are trying to raise that bar as we go on.”

Echoing captain Impi Visser’s remarks after the Hong Kong triumph, Snyman said the current squad is standing on the shoulders of those who came before them.

“To be honest, all the previous coaches, all the previous players that have been part of Springbok Sevens, everybody had something to play or had a part in Springbok Sevens on where we are today,” he said.

Aiming for LA 2028

With the Blitzboks’ rise this season and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games still more than two years away, the question is whether SA’s sevens side have found their peak too soon.

Snyman does not see it that way.

While the results have accelerated expectations, he said the broader plan has always extended beyond immediate success. This season, the coaching staff have balanced winning with squad development, using the campaign to build depth ahead of Los Angeles 2028.

“Obviously our mindset going into the season was to give youngsters the opportunity, and to make sure they’re ready for when 2028 comes and that we have that competitive excellence on the training fields,” said Snyman.

“If you look at the amount of youngsters that we brought through, six guys made their debuts this season.

“All our senior players were rested for a tournament or two to make sure that they’re fresh and also for the youngsters to make that step up if they get the opportunity. So obviously we have the long-term goal in mind and to make sure that we don’t get to a stage where we peak by that competitive excellence.”

In the shorter term, the Blitzboks will turn their attention to Valladolid, Spain, where they will look to add another trophy to the cabinet, from 29 to 31 May, in the second stop of the HSBC SVNS World Championship phase. DM