Expect the Springbok Sevens to bounce back to a potential podium finish in Perth this weekend, where the fourth leg of the tightly contested 2026 HSBC SVNS takes place at HBF Park.
That is the view of Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman, who was satisfied with their week’s preparation since arriving in Western Australia on Monday.
Snyman also decided to tweak the team, bringing in the uncapped Renaldo Young, with the dual-contracted Sanlam Boland Kavaliers wing replacing Nabo Sokoyi in the tournament squad.
The Blitzboks travelled with an extra player on this leg with the sole purpose of building squad depth and Young is in line to become the third newly capped player this season.
Sokoyi made his debut in Cape Town and Luan Giliomee last weekend, with Young, nicknamed “Naledi”, getting his opportunity in Perth.
“Renaldo has been training very well since he joined us and did really well for the SA ‘A’-side in Dubai last year – I am excited to see what he can do,” Snyman said of Young, who turns 26 next month.
The Blitzboks finished fourth in Singapore a week ago in a performance that left everyone unhappy, but Snyman said they have refocussed and are ready to go again.
“We freshened up nicely, thanks to good work done by our Strength and Conditioning coach, Ghafoer Luckan, and everyone is ready to go,” said Snyman.
“Apart from the bodies that were sore after a physical weekend in Singapore, we also made sure that everyone had a good look at the errors and shortcomings of that fourth placed finish.
“What was encouraging from those review sessions was that instead of finger pointing, there was ownership on mistakes made by all, players and coaches alike and from that grew the desire to rectify and execute this weekend.”
The format of the world series means the Blitzboks will again face Spain and Fiji – tournament winners last weekend – in their pool, while Argentina also await with bruised egos, following their seventh-place finish in Singapore.
The Blitzboks need to be clinical and use their opportunities to get past their foes and into the semi-finals, Snyman said: “We had three different winners in the three tournaments played so far, which gives you an idea of how competitive the series is.
“Every match is literally a knock-out and all eight teams can win a tournament. Spain would like to bounce back, Argentina would like to bounce back and so do we, while Fiji is right at the top after their win, so it is going to be tight.”
After their reviews, expect a slight change in attitude and physicality from the Blitzboks.
“We need to be a bit more aggressive, especially if we play against the bigger opponents,” said Snyman.
“It does come down to our own efforts though. We can do the homework on our opponents and plan accordingly, but it always boils down to our own effort and how well we execute and that will be the focus for the weekend.”
Blitzboks’ Pool A fixtures:
Saturday 7 February (SA times – all matches live on SuperSport)
05h58: Spain
09h14: Argentina
12h52: Fiji
Head-to-Head:
Spain: Played 32, won 30. Average score 29-9. Last match: Singapore 2026, 21-14
Argentina: Played 83, won 56. Average score 21-12. Last match: Cape Town 2025, 21-19
Fiji: Played 108, won 44. Average score 16-17. Last match: Singapore 2026, 19-24
Blitzbok squad for HSBC SVNS Perth:
#1 Christie Grobbelaar – 25 tournaments, 210 points (42 tries)
#2 Ryan Oosthuizen – 59 tournaments, 250 points (50 tries)
#4 Zain Davids – 56 tournaments, 240 points (48 tries)
#5 Ricardo Duarttee – 22 tournaments, 343 points (24 tries, 109 conversions, 1 penalty goal)
#11 Siviwe Soyizwapi (captain) – 61 tournaments, 795 points (159 tries)
#12 Shilton van Wyk – 30 tournaments, 320 points (64 tries)
#15 Donavan Don – 12 tournaments, 104 points (20 tries, 2 conversions)
#16 Sebastiaan Jobb – 5 tournaments, 25 points (5 tries)
#19 David Brits – 12 tournaments, 50 points (10 tries)
#20 Renaldo Young – uncapped
#21 Zander Reynders – 9 tournaments, 25 points (45tries)
#24 Tristan Leyds – 14 tournaments, 168 points (22 tries, 29 conversions)
#27 Luan Giliomee – 1 tournament, 0 points
Pogue
The Springboks have a long-standing rivalry with the New Zealand All Blacks, with their matches often being some of the most intense and closely contested games in international rugby.
Old Regret
Mahela Jayawardene is the only batsman to have scored centuries in both the Semi-Final and Final of a World Cup.