Philip Snyman demands greater aggression as Blitzboks add Renaldo Young for Perth

Springbok Sevens coach Philip Snyman wants more bite from his side in Perth this weekend – and he believes the hard lessons absorbed by his younger players in Singapore could be the catalyst.

The Blitzboks open the fourth leg of the 2026 HSBC SVNS series at HBF Park determined to convert narrow defeats into decisive victories after a fourth-place finish in Singapore that left the squad dissatisfied. For Snyman, the margins were clear – and so was the response required.

“We need to be a bit more aggressive, especially if we play against the bigger opponents,” he said ahead of the Perth Sevens. “It does come down to our own efforts, though. We can do the homework on our opponents and plan accordingly, but it always boils down to our own effort and how well we execute.”

Singapore underlined just how unforgiving the series has become. With three different winners from the opening three tournaments, no side has managed to dominate and almost every contest has gone down to the wire. The Blitzboks were involved in a number of tight matches in Singapore, and Snyman believes that experience will fast-track the growth of the newcomers in his squad.

“When you’re going into a tournament without a lot of experience, guys will make mistakes. I think in terms of building depth in our squad and learning from that, it was a massive positive for us as a system,” he said.

“Everyone took responsibility to go out and make it right and we have another chance this weekend. I think all the youngsters will have a little bit more experience and know what to do in different situations.”

That need for improved composure under pressure, combined with a more confrontational edge, has shaped the team’s preparation in Western Australia. Strength and conditioning coach Ghafoer Luckan has been praised for his work in helping the players recover ahead of the physical challenge.

“We also realised it’s a good opportunity for us to do a lot of work off-field – ball sessions, video sessions, one-on-ones – to make sure everyone understands where we’ve made mistakes,” Snyman explained.

“We had a good field session in terms of our work-ons at the breakdown, not to concede turnovers, on one-on-one tackles and especially to be more clinical on attack. Now it’s time to deliver on the field.”

Snyman has also tweaked the team, bringing in the uncapped Renaldo Young. The Boland Kavaliers wing replaces recent debutant Nabo Sokoyi in the squad. The Blitzboks kick off Saturday’s Pool A fixtures against Spain at 5.58am (SA time), before facing Argentina at 9.14am and Fiji at 12.52pm.

Blitzbok squad for HSBC SVNS Perth

1. Christie Grobbelaar, 2. Ryan Oosthuizen, 4. Zain Davids, 5. Ricardo Duarttee , 11. Siviwe Soyizwapi (captain), 12. Shilton van Wyk, 15. Donavan Don, 16. Sebastiaan Jobb, 19. David Brits, 20. Renaldo Young, 21. Zander Reynders, 24. Tristan Leyds,  27. Luan Giliomee.