Snyman lauds teamwork and special defensive effort in Blitzboks’ win

2026-03-16 - 07:23

Blitzboks head coach Philip Snyman lauded his team’s “heart” following their epic 10-7 win in the New York Sevens tournament final against Fiji on Sunday that allowed the South Africans to also clinch the world series title. “This was special, not because of the execution of play, but the heart and intensity to play for each other that was shown out there,” said Snyman. “They showed what Springbok Sevens stand for and played for that jersey, and as a coach, you cannot be prouder of such an effort. “The defensive effort was something else from minute one until the last play. In the final sequence of play, Fiji created an overlap here and there, but the guys never gave up, and they could not get through. “How some of those players got into some defensive positions to cover, I don’t know. But what I do know is that drive from within to get there. That is what we are about.” ‘We left nothing out there’ For Blitzboks captain Impi Visser, who played in his 50th tournament at the weekend, his team’s powerful defence was the standout feature. “We gave them a bit too much possession, which is what Fiji thrive on, but our defence won the day,” said Visser. “We did not play our best rugby of the tournament in the final, but our defence was outstanding and that secured the win. Selvyn Davids, who was named Player of the Final, the unity of the team effort made the feeling even better. “We did not always play the perfect game or did what the coaches wanted us to do, but we played for each other, our support system and our country every time we ran onto the field – that was a given,” said Davids. “We left nothing out there and that is the most satisfying part of this overwhelming feeling of joy and content. “Words cannot really describe how I feel. To be Player of the Final was because of the team and I could not have done this alone. We really worked hard for this, and it was worth all the effort.” ‘Special’ Siviwe Soyizwapi, who is the most capped player in the current squad with 64 world series tournament appearances, said “the effort was unreal.” “We are blessed with so many tools in this team, we have a group of players that have so many different skill sets and when we use that wisely, we are hard to stop,” he said. “If you add the care and belief that is in this group to that skill set, it becomes something very special.” The Blitzboks will now turn their attention to the three-tournament World Championship, with stops in Hong Kong (17-19 April), Valladolid (29-31 May) and Bordeaux (5-7 June). “The season is not over, but we can allow ourselves to enjoy this one and when we come back, we start fresh with the World Championships our focus,” said Davids.