Zander Reynders always enjoyed December holidays – a time for family get-togethers and one of those joys, recalled the 24-year-old, was watching the South African leg of the HSBC SVNS series, which was always playing in the background on television.
Jobb and Leyds are back in the #Blitzboks squad for next weekend's #HSBCSVNS in Vancouver - team announcement here: https://t.co/LD2rDwWk5c 🇨🇦#PoweredByUnity pic.twitter.com/YH9P70I4fc
— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) February 13, 2025
Kwagga Smith, Werner Kok, Seabelo Senatla, Cecil Afrika and Philip Snyman were as part of the family gatherings as the Reynders siblings themselves. The Blitzboks’ achievements were also as familiar as those by his own family. Both Reynders’ father, Frikkie, and his uncle Bennie both represented South Africa on the international stage, albeit in canoeing.
But December 2024 had a different flavour for the Reynders family, even though it was still a joyful time, with Zander being called into the Springbok Sevens squad for the HSBC SVNS Cape Town and the Blitzboks going on to win the title for the first time since 2015.
Reynders played mostly off the bench in Cape Town, and that was his role again just over a month later in Perth, where the Blitzboks placed fourth at the third tournament of the current world series.
Prep done. Now recovery, pack and long haul to #hsbcsvnsvan#PoweredByUnity pic.twitter.com/Uf0of7E0tX
— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) February 14, 2025
When they depart for Vancouver later on Saturday though, Reynders will have a more prominent role to play at the Canadian leg of the season. Blitzbok coach Philip Snyman has replaced injured forward Zain Davids with wing Sebastiaan Jobb, which points to more responsibility for Reynders, a computer engineering graduate at the University of Pretoria.
“I am really excited about this tournament, knowing that I will have a bigger role to play,” Reynders said before departure to Canada via London, with the long-haul flight scheduled to arrive in in British Columbia on Sunday evening.
“The Cape Town tournament was such a blur and in Perth, I picked up a shoulder niggle, which meant that I could not play the final day. That was the worst feeling, because I wasn’t there when the team needed me, so I am pretty motivated for this one.”
UNEXPECTED CALL-UP
Way back, Reynders never expected that one day, Snyman would tell him he will be representing his country in the colours of the Blitzboks.
“From those early days, I loved the Blitzboks for what they represented and how they performed, but to be honest, even after being invited to train with the squad in Cape Town, I did not expect the call-up,” he recalled with a big smile.
“I played for the Academy side in Dubai the week before and it went well, but back then I was just trying to impress enough in order to be recalled to Stellenbosch.
“I had just graduated and sat my final exams, so I finally had time to focus on sevens, but I needed to get invited back again.
“The training went well that week, but I still did not expect a call-up, even when coach Philip did the one-on-one interviews with us. He told me that he was happy with my work and that I must be ready for my opportunity whenever it comes.
“I thanked him and got up to leave. As I reached the door of the room he told me: ‘Zander, that opportunity is this weekend in Cape Town’. It was the best news ever and I just hugged him.”
Once in Vancouver, the preparation will start in earnest as New Zealand loom large for the Blitzboks in their opening pool game on Saturday. Reynders has not faced the Kiwi side before.
“I can’t wait,” he said. “Any rugby playing schoolboy in South Africa grows up playing the All Blacks somewhere in a back garden, pavement or rugby field and now it is my time to do it for real.
“I am not going to focus too much on them though, as I will have my own check list of things to do for my team first.”
A FULLY-FLEDGED BLITZBOK
Boarding the plane as a fully-fledged Blitzbok is huge for Reynders and his family, given their relationship with the Springbok: “I was a slow and short scrumhalf in my early playing days, just grateful for a participation medal at the end of it.”
A growth spurt in his late teens changed that and a couple of years later, Reynders was a FNB Varsity Cup winner with UP-Tuks, playing at outside centre. Nowadays, he also has a world series winning medal, after the gold in Cape Town.
“My journey has just started, and I am so grateful for the way it turned out thus far,” he said. “Each match in Vancouver will be about contributing to the team and in essence, to the country. And knowing my family will be watching the Blitzboks’ every move, as they have been doing for years, will make it just that more special.”