No result in the current HSBC SVNS Series is a guarantee, and that trend will continue at BC Place in Vancouver this weekend, but according to Springbok Sevens head coach Philip Snyman, there is a firm belief in the camp that they can maintain their good 2026 form and stay on the right side of each result.
Snyman spoke after the team completed their preparations for the Vancouver tournament, where the Blitzboks will aim to repeat their tournament victory in Perth last month, which was their second win in the four tournaments played in the current series.
“We have a strong, experienced squad here in Canada, we prepared well, and everyone is ready to go, so we are hoping for a good weekend,” said Snyman.
“That said, our opponents this weekend in pool play, Great Britain, Spain and New Zealand, are all here with the same aim and ambitions, so we will have to be clinical and sharp if we want to claim any victory. There just is no easy game anymore, and if you’re off your game, you are in trouble.
“Great Britain is improving all the time. We saw them turning over big-name teams in recent tournaments, while Spain, which finished second in last year’s series, has some of their more experienced players back and will be a handful.
“New Zealand can also turn it on at any time and beat us in our last outing in Singapore. So, it’s going to be a tournament where we will have to be at our best to get the results we want.”
Snyman said the return of some experienced players such as Selvyn Davids, Ronald Brown and Impi Visser will improve their competitiveness and will offset the inexperience of the uncapped Grant de Jager and Gino Cupido, who is playing in his second tournament.
“We selected them for a reason, though, as both have very good qualities, and I believe the senior guys will provide the necessary calm to them, said Snyman, who confirmed that Donavan Don will sit out this tournament, which the Blitzbok coach won as captain in 2019.
Visser, the 2026 captain, said he is raring to go after being given a break for the Singapore/Perth leg.
“I am feeling fresh and ready,” said Visser.
“Obviously, one wants to play in every tournament, but there is a bigger picture as well, and the management laid that out to us. The squad is really a strong one and for me, the strongest group we have since the return to competitive rugby after COVID.”
The Blitzboks played in a training match against France earlier in the week, and Visser said that helped them: “It was good to get a proper run here, and they asked good questions of our defence, and it also gave all of us returning a good opportunity to get back into that level of competition. The aim is to start strong against Great Britain and build from that.”
Blitzbok squad for HSBC SVNS Vancouver:
#1 Christie Grobbelaar – 26 tournaments, 215 points (43 tries)
#2 Ryan Oosthuizen – 60 tournaments, 260 points (52 tries)
#3 Impi Visser (captain) – 48 tournaments, 230 points (46 tries)
#7 Ronald Brown – 22 tournaments, 453 points (47 tries, 109 conversions)
#8 Selvyn Davids – 44 tournaments, 739 points (97 tries, 127 conversions, 1 penalty goal)
#10 Dewald Human – 31 tournaments, 320 points (30 tries, 85 conversions)
#11 Siviwe Soyizwapi – 62 tournaments, 795 points (159 tries)
#12 Shilton van Wyk – 31 tournaments, 330 points (66 tries)
#16 Sebastiaan Jobb – 6 tournaments, 45 points (9 tries)
#19 David Brits – 13 tournaments, 55 points (11 tries)
#24 Tristan Leyds – 15 tournaments, 170 points (22 tries, 30 conversions)
#28 Grant de Jager – uncapped
#35 Gino Cupido – 1 tournament, 20 points (4 tries)
HSBC SVNS Vancouver pools:
Pool A: South Africa, New Zealand, Spain, Great Britain
Pool B: Fiji, Australia, Argentina, France.
Blitzbok pool schedule (SA times, live on SuperSport):
Saturday 7 March:
22h03: Great Britain
Sunday 8 March:
01h51: Spain
05h40: New Zealand
