It was not the result they had hoped for, but the Springbok Sevens will take away valuable lessons from Madrid this weekend after they finished sixth in the HSBC SVNS Grand Finale in Spain.
The belief in their turnaround of fortunes is real and come the HSBC SVNS Grand Finale in Madrid this weekend, the Springbok Sevens team will be ready to deliver.
The record books will reflect that South Africa won the last two HSBC SVNS tournaments in Spain – Malaga and Seville in 2022 – and for Justin Geduld, playing in his 60th world series tournament for the Blitzboks this weekend, those achievements can be repeated.
Ryan Oosthuizen will represent the Springbok Sevens for the 50th time in the HSBC SVNS in Madrid next weekend, where the final tournament of the 2024 season will be played at the Cívitas Metropolitano Stadium from 31 May to 2 June.
Argentina, playing for the HSBC SVNS league title, came back hard in the second half of their fifth-place playoff to edge the Springbok Sevens by 14-10 in the teams’ final clash in Singapore this weekend.
Philip Snyman captained the Springbok Sevens in a golden era where HSBC SVNS titles and Olympic and Commonwealth Games podium finishes where the order of the day.
They have “been there and done that” in their Springbok Sevens careers of close to a decade, but for Dylan Sage and Siviwe Soyizwapi, a return to the familiar HSBC SVNS circuit is almost like a new beginning and an experience they are embracing with a broad smile on their faces.
Dylan Sage will return to the Springbok Sevens team for the first time in four years and Siviwe Soyizwapi for the first time this season when the Blitzboks contest next weekend’s HSBC SVNS tournament in Singapore.
The Springbok Sevens dodged a first bullet in Hong Kong this weekend, which was an important objective for the team, and according to interim head coach Philip Snyman, their next aim is to rise back into the top four again.
Sevens coaches can hardly ask for a more daunting start to their HSBC SVNS career than what is facing Philip Snyman, the Springbok Sevens’ new interim head coach, this weekend, but the 37-year-old will take it in his stride.