Phillip Snyman, the former captain of the Springbok Sevens, has been named the head coach of the Blitzboks after serving in an acting capacity for the past six months. This appointment was confirmed by South Africa Rugby on Friday.
Snyman stepped in as the interim coach in March after the team faced a series of disappointing performances. During his leadership, the Blitzboks triumphed in the World Rugby Sevens Repechage tournament in Monaco, securing their place in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, where they earned a bronze medal.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer stated that Snyman’s confirmation as head coach, extending until the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, aligns with the organization’s restructuring for high-performance sports. Oberholzer praised Snyman’s ability to swiftly turn the team’s fortunes around and emphasized the impressive results in Monaco and Paris, indicating Snyman’s potential to restore the Blitzboks to their previous level of success.
As a former captain, Snyman brings extensive experience, having participated in 62 world series events and competing in two Rugby World Cup Sevens tournaments, as well as winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Snyman, who had previously coached Uganda and Germany before joining the Blitzboks as an assistant coach in 2023, expressed gratitude towards SA Rugby for their trust in him. He acknowledged the honor of becoming the full-time head coach, highlighting the responsibility of guiding the team to its highest potential.
He recognized the challenges ahead, noting that despite recent successes, the Blitzboks still have work to do to reach a top-three ranking and are committed to improving their performance.