SA Rugby has confirmed that Phillip Snyman has been appointed as head coach of the Blitzboks, after taking care of the team in an acting capacity for the past six months.
The former Springbok Sevens captain took over as interim coach in March, following a series of poor results in HSBC SVNS, and under his guidance the Blitzboks won the World Rugby Sevens Repechage tournament in Monaco to gain entry to the Olympic Games in Paris, where they walked away with the bronze medal.
Snyman has turned the team around and has been rewarded for his effort.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer said yesterday that the confirmation of Snyman’s new role – until the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 – was part of the governing body’s current high-performance restructuring process.
“The way Philip fixed the fortunes of the Blitzboks in 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.
“As a former captain, Philip has deep institutional knowledge of the Springbok Sevens, having played in 62 World Series events, two 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.”
Back on the training field. The @SVNSSeries waits for no one... @WeBuyCars_SA pic.twitter.com/dVrMIUyqqM
— Springbok Sevens (@Blitzboks) September 4, 2024
Snyman, who had previous experience as head coach with Uganda and Germany before his appointment as Blitzbok assistant coach last year, thanked SA Rugby for their faith.
“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 a position I always aspired to when I became a coach,” said Snyman.
“There is a lot of work to be done, despite our recent results. We are still way off being a top-three team, and we will be working hard to get back to that position.
“I can’t wait to get going, and I would like to thank SA Rugby for the trust they have placed in me.
“We have a solid core of players, and I will be looking at ways to strengthen our player base and depth to such an extent that we will be contending for titles and medals regularly.”