Former Springbok Sevens Captain Phillip Snyman has been named the head coach of the Blitzboks following a six-month tenure as acting coach. South Africa Rugby announced his appointment on Friday.
Snyman assumed the interim coaching role in March after the team faced a series of disappointing results. Under his leadership, the Blitzboks achieved victory in the World Rugby Sevens Repechage tournament in Monaco, earning a spot in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, where they secured a bronze medal.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer remarked that confirming Snyman’s position until the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 is part of the governing body’s high-performance restructuring initiative. “The way Philip turned around the fortunes of the Blitzboks in a short time was remarkable and speaks volumes of his abilities as a coach,” Oberholzer stated.
“The performances in Monaco and Paris demonstrated that he can lead the Blitzboks back to their former glory, and we are excited to have him on board. As a former captain, Philip brings valuable institutional knowledge of the Springbok Sevens, having participated in 62 world series events, two Rugby World Cup Sevens, and a Commonwealth Games in which the team won gold. He is also the only individual to have earned medals as both a player and a coach at the Olympics.”
Snyman, who had previously served as head coach for Uganda and Germany before becoming the assistant coach for the Blitzboks in 2023, expressed gratitude to SA Rugby for their confidence in him. “It is a huge honor to be appointed as full-time head coach, a role that demands the best from the Blitzboks and one I have always aspired to as a coach,” Snyman said.
“There is still much work to be done despite our recent success. We are not yet a top-three team, and we will work diligently to reach that level.”