Former Springbok Sevens captain Phillip Snyman has been officially appointed as the head coach of the Blitzboks after serving in an acting capacity for the past six months, SA Rugby confirmed on Thursday.
Snyman took over as interim coach in March following a series of disappointing results in the HSBC SVNS. Under his leadership, the Blitzboks turned their season around by winning the World Rugby Sevens Repechage tournament in Monaco, which secured them a spot at the Olympic Games in Paris. There, the team claimed a bronze medal.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer praised Snyman’s impact on the team, noting that his new role, which extends through to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, aligns with SA Rugby’s ongoing high-performance restructuring efforts.
“The way Philip turned around the fortunes of the Blitzboks in such a short time was remarkable and speaks volumes of his abilities as a coach,” said Oberholzer. “Their performances in Monaco and Paris showed that he can get the Blitzboks back to their former glories, and we are pleased to have him on board.”
Locked in! Philip Snyman has been appointed as the #Blitzboks‘ head coach until the next Olympic Games – more here: https://t.co/arYA01EhDU ⚡#PoweredByUnity pic.twitter.com/xpRkoPIZAW
— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) September 12, 2024
Oberholzer also highlighted Snyman’s extensive experience and success as both a player and coach. “As a former captain, Philip brings deep institutional knowledge of the Springbok Sevens, having played in 62 world series events, two Rugby World Cup Sevens tournaments, and a Commonwealth Games where the team won gold. Philip is also the only person in the game who has won medals as a player and a coach at the Olympics.”
Snyman, who has previously served as head coach for Uganda and Germany before becoming Blitzboks assistant coach in 2023, expressed gratitude for the trust SA Rugby has placed in him.
“It is a massive honour to be appointed as full-time head coach, a position that demands the best of what the Blitzboks can be and one I’ve always aspired to hold,” said Snyman. “There is a lot of work to be done, despite our recent results. We are still far from being a top-three team, and we will be working hard to get back to that level.”
Snyman emphasized his eagerness to build on the team’s success and strengthen their player base. “We have a solid core of players, and I will be looking at ways to deepen our squad so we can consistently contend for titles and medals.”
