The Springbok Sevens squad are in their final two weeks of preparation for the forthcoming HSBC SVNS season and according to Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman, the anticipation of getting their series title defence underway is real and exciting.
The Blitzboks will travel to Dubai on 23 November for the opening leg of the 2027 series, to be held at The Sevens on 28 and 29 November, with the HSBC SVNS Cape Town a week later.
Snyman will name his 13-player squad for Dubai next Friday, but until then, he will keep a watchful eye on a large training group that include all but two of the 2026 squad that won both the HSBC SVNS Series and World Championship double.
Mfundo Ndhlovu and Donavan Don have left the squad for Vodacom United Rugby Championship opportunities, while Impi Visser, Zander Reynders, Jayden Nell, and Shilton van Wyk is busy with rehabilitation and will miss the opening leg of the new season.
Like last season, when he blooded six new players, Snyman is looking to do more of the same, but said the focus for the season will change slightly.
“With Olympic Games qualification determined by the final placings of the 2027 World Championship tournaments, we will make sure we have our best team ready for those events, and to be able to do that, we will use the first six tournaments of the series to build depth and cover in certain crucial positions,” Snyman said from their Stellenbosch training base on Tuesday, after yet another tough session in hot conditions.
“Most of our established group of players are fit and ready, apart from the four injured players, while we also invited some very exciting younger talents into camp.
“There are a number of players who played for the Junior Springboks over the last two years, while some standouts in the FNB Varsity Cup were also drafted into this group. We also have some loan players from the franchises, such as JC Mars from the DHL Stormers, who are training with us.”
The Blitzbok coach is pleased with the energy and talent on display, “No one in the contracted group is resting on their laurels, while the new players are pushing hard for more permanent opportunities and that delivers a very competitive environment.”
Snyman is set to split the squad in two smaller groups, one with focus on the HSBC SVNS event, while the second group will also travel to Dubai to play in the International Invitational Tournament.
“We have seen in the past how important that tournament is for our younger group as they also have international teams playing in that tournament, and it also gives them a real feel of tournament play,” he said.
Springbok Sevens extended training squad: Christie Grobbelaar, Ryan Oosthuizen, Impi Visser, Zain Davids, Ricardo Duarttee, Quewin Nortje, Ronald Brown, Selvyn Davids, Nabo Sokoyi, Dewald Human, Siviwe Soyizwapi, Shilton van Wyk, David Brits, Grant de Jager, Sebastiaan Jobb, Zander Reynders, Tristan Leyds, Gino Cupido (all capped Blitzboks), Rowan Malgas, Aaron Swartz, Tiaan Fourie, Juan Smith, JC Mars, Marnus Potgieter, Zack von Wielligh, Leachim Adams, Gregan Kerneels, Siya Ndlozi, Kruger van Reenen, Quintin Potgieter, Luan Williams, Jean-Henri Smit, Chijindu Okonta, Lizwe Mtetwa, Ceano Everson, Christiaan Potgieter, Samuel Badenhorst, Jack Benade.