It will be almost four years to the day when a bright-eyed 21-year-old Shilton van Wyk ran onto the pitch at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai, representing the Springbok Sevens for the first time on the international stage.
Six tournament victories out of eight played is no mean feat, but for Ryan Oosthuizen, another go at glory at the Emirates Dubai 7s tournament this weekend could not come quick enough.
Eleven players involved in their season-ending HSBC SVNS World Championship victory in Los Angeles in May will be part of the Springbok Sevens squad for the 2026 HSBC SVNS opener in Dubai next weekend, while Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman added experienced stalwarts Christie Grobbelaar and Donavan Don to his team.
As a Blitzbok, he has won the HSBC SVNS world series, gold at the Commonwealth Games and bronze at the Olympic Games, but for Christie Grobbelaar, an appearance at his home tournament in Cape Town has remained rather elusive.
Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman congratulated the Springbok Sevens ‘A’ squad for their effort and application as they claimed the Rugby Africa Sevens Cup in Port Louis on Sunday.
It will be a tournament with no second chances, of clinical execution and most importantly, an opportunity where the Springbok Sevens team can deliver a performance that will do their season justice.
The Springbok Sevens’ 2025 season had it all: a rare home win in Cape Town, a losing final appearance in Vancouver, a fourth-place finish in Perth and some less flattering results in Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore.
SA Rugby mourns the passing of Norman Mbiko, the last captain of the African Springboks and a former head coach of the Blitzboks, who passed away in the early hours of Tuesday morning at the age of 79 after a long illness.
Springbok Sevens head coach Philip Snyman still believes his squad can beat any other team on the HSBC SVNS, so their ninth-place finish in Hong Kong Sevens was a bitter pill to swallow.
The splendour of Singapore means it is considered a popular shopping destination, but Springbok Sevens co-captain Impi Visser insists that is the very last thing on their minds this week.