The Springbok Sevens squad that won their very first HSBC SVNS Hong Kong tournament on Sunday in such a clinical and commanding fashion deserve all the applause and credit for doing so, but according to Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman, they will not get ahead of themselves as their dream season is not over yet.
Snyman was part of a back-to-back World Series-winning team and captained them as they won all over the world except for Hong Kong, so he understands the emotions of winning at the home of sevens for the first time, thanks to a commanding 35-7 victory over Argentina in the final at Kai Tak Sports Stadium.
“I’m almost speechless,” Snyman said afterwards.
“There is a massive feeling of pride and gratitude at this moment. We waited so long for this, and I am happy we finally did it. I am also very happy for us as a group, not only those here tonight, but also those back home who worked just as hard to make it possible.”
Snyman said they will pause and reflect on what they managed to achieve: “We will just relax and enjoy and celebrate tonight. We know the job is not done, but 50 years was a long time to wait for this.”
The Blitzbok coach also reflected on their recovery of form after they were outplayed in their second pool match on Friday and said the team had a serious chat on Friday evening after they delivered underwhelming performances against Uruguay and Spain.
“We just reminded everyone who we are, what we represent and what we came to do,” he said. “The book on Hong Kong 2026 might not have had six perfect chapters, but what a great ending to the story.”
Snyman was also very pleased with the effort shown on Sunday: “The way we came back from that stutter was exceptional, especially today when we played against two very good teams in New Zealand and Argentina. We were so clinical and effective in everything we did, it was wonderful to see first-hand.”
On their current run of form, Snyman said they are enjoying the moment: “Four tournament wins from four is amazing, and we are enjoying it, knowing it will not last forever. For now though, we are enjoying it and feeling very proud of what we have achieved so far.”
Blitzbok captain Impi Visser said the squad will forever remember this moment and he is proud to be part of this piece of history.
“I am just so proud of the boys because we achieved something special today,” said Visser. “We broke the hoodoo in Hong Kong and can finally call ourselves champions here and that is amazing.”
Visser said the defeat against Spain on day one shocked them: “We came back from a dark place on Friday night as that defeat hurt, as suddenly doubt started to creep in, but we had a good chat and turned it around like I expected the guys to do.
“There are massive fight and pride in this team, and it showed once we were under pressure. We realised the focus should be on creating and assisting in a try rather than thinking of the celebration of it and we turned it around, that big win over Argentina Saturday laid the foundation for the rest of the tournament.
“Today was a showcase of what we are capable of. The management moulded us into a competitive team and credit for them.”
On the winning streak, Visser said: “We will keep our heads down and stay honest once we get back to work for the next two tournaments. We have seen hard work pays off, so there is no need to change that habit now.”
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
