Blitzboks keep eyes on the prize despite Vancouver final loss

The Springbok Sevens side may have fallen short in the Vancouver final, but head coach Philip Snyman remains upbeat about the team’s progress in the HSBC SVNS 2025 series.

Despite losing 19-12 to Argentina in the championship match, Snyman is satisfied that the Blitzboks are meeting their overall objectives for the season.

“Make no mistake, it is never nice to lose in a final – you go all the way to put yourself in a position to win the tournament, and then to come up short is not part of the plan,” Snyman admitted. “But credit to Argentina, who were the better team in that game. They were more clinical than us, especially in that first half, and scored the points when it mattered.

“We came back well but just could not get the win.”

Tough loss in the Finals, but the boys showed heart and character 🇿🇦

Thank you so much for the support, we appreciate it 🙏#Blitzboks #PoweredByUnity pic.twitter.com/UKLV7KXFSE

— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) February 24, 2025

Progress in the Bigger Picture

From the outset of the season, Snyman set two key objectives for his squad: securing a top-four finish in every tournament and broadening the team’s playing depth. With the Vancouver leg marking the halfway point of the series, the Blitzboks remain on track.

“We want to reach at least the semi-finals of every tournament, and we are at three out of four there,” Snyman noted. “Sebastiaan Jobb and Zander Reynders got good game time during the tournament, which is great. From that perspective, I am more than pleased.”

While areas of improvement remain, Snyman is confident that the necessary adjustments can be made. “The mistakes we made can be fixed, and we can tweak one or two things, so we are in a good spot at the moment,” he added.

Blitzboks show grit against Fiji

A major highlight of the Blitzboks’ tournament was their thrilling semi-final win against Fiji, despite being reduced to six men for 10 minutes following a red card to Jobb. The team’s resilience and determination in overcoming adversity left a lasting impression on Snyman.

“Playing Fiji with seven is already tough enough, so to have only six on the field and come from behind on the scoreboard to win made me very proud,” Snyman said. “The guys showed what the jersey meant to them by never giving up in that match and working extra hard to compensate for the missing defender.

“That performance is one I will remember for a long time.”

Looking Ahead

With just two rounds left before the Grand Finale in Los Angeles, the Blitzboks remain firmly in the title race. The next stops on the calendar are Hong Kong (March 28-30) and Singapore (April 5-6), before the final showdown in Los Angeles (May 3-4).

“We are still in with a realistic chance to win the series, and that is great,” said Snyman. “But we will still continue with expanding our player depth at those two tournaments. Once back home, the management will have a discussion on our roster for that trip and how we are going to approach it.

“For now, we are in a good position and mindset. Yes, we lost the final, but we gained in many other areas.”

The Blitzboks are set to arrive back in Cape Town on Wednesday morning, with their focus firmly set on the challenges ahead.