Blitzboks head coach Philip Snyman said his team, featuring a balance of youth and experience, is in a good mental space ahead of the weekend.
It may be rugby rather than chess, but Springbok Sevens head coach Philip Snyman has stressed the importance of making the right decisions at the right time as the Blitzboks prepare to face Spain, Great Britain and Fiji in Pool A of the Sevens tournament in Singapore this weekend.
Snyman’s tactics will be tested against three contrasting opponents with a squad short on experience and recent success at the third stop of the 2026 World Series.
The Blitzboks do, however, carry momentum from their tournament win in Cape Town just under two months ago, although injuries have ruled out several established players and placed added strain on squad depth.
Balance of youth and experience
Snyman has consistently emphasised the need to broaden experience within the group, and that approach will again be under scrutiny, with five players on tour boasting fewer than 10 caps. Among them is uncapped Luan Giliomee, the former Charlie Hofmeyr High School standout, who becomes the second debutant this season after Nabo Sokoyi’s first appearance in Cape Town.
“Luan slotted in very well and he certainly has an aptitude for sevens,” Snyman said. “His learning curve is huge and we are excited to see how he goes.”
The Blitzboks coach said balancing youth and experience would be key. “We brought some new and less experienced players on this trip for a reason, but we still need the established guys to bring their best game. This trip is as much about building depth as it is about results.
“This format forces you to be at your best in every match if you want to reach the final, but there is also a longer-term plan, and ours is to have the best possible squad for the 2028 Olympics.”
Snyman added that preparation had been thorough since arriving in Singapore. “The guys are in a good space and it’s always nice to have debutants, as they bring fresh energy. The challenge is to make sure we are aligned from the start in terms of game plan, detail and execution.”
New Zealand and South Africa, winners of the opening tournaments in Dubai and Cape Town, lead the standings on 32 points alongside Fiji. However, Snyman insisted the immediate focus is Spain.
“Spain is our main focus – they have beaten some very good teams already this season,” he said. “If we manage our interchanges well, the result should look after itself.”
Blitzbok squad for Singapore:
Christie Grobbelaar, Ryan Oosthuizen, Zain Davids, Ricardo Duarttee, Nabo Sokoyi, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Shilton van Wyk, Donavan Don, Sebastiaan Jobb, David Brits, Zander Reynders, Tristan Leyds, Luan Giliomee
Blitzboks’ pool fixtures (SA times, all matches live on SuperSport)
Saturday 31 January:
6.54am: Spain, 10.20am: Great Britain, 13.46pm: Fiji
Pools:
A: South Africa, Spain, Great Britain, Fiji
B: New Zealand, Australia, France, Argentina
