Blitzboks' true colours glittered in LA, says coach Snyman
Blitzboks coach Philip Snyman heaped praise on his squad after a commanding weekend of sevens rugby displayed at the HSBC Sevens World Championship in Los Angeles, with the Blitzboks finishing as the only undefeated side and crowned winners on Sunday.
Strong performances on day one at Dignity Health Sports Park saw pool victories over France, Great Britain and Argentina, then the Blitzboks outplayed New Zealand in the semifinals and Spain in the final on day two to lift the World Championship trophy for the first time.
'This team delivered an amazing performance over the weekend,' Snyman said.
'The players deserve much credit for the way they played in Los Angeles. We had good parts and bad parts to our season, but this weekend we got it all together and that is a satisfying feeling.
Fantastic news for South Africans to wake up to 🏆
The Blitzboks beat Spain 19-5 in Los Angeles to win the final tournament, the SVNS World Championship, of the season 🇿🇦👏 #HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSLAX pic.twitter.com/pHUhpDVycA
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) May 5, 2025
'Any coach will tell you your plan can only be as good as the buy-in from the players and their execution thereof. This weekend it all came together.
'They stuck to our plan, but also played the moments when it was there to exploit. They did exceptional things on the field during this tournament and the credit must go to them.
'Some of those moments of brilliance by the players in the final made this a special win.
'This performance was proof of the potential of this squad. The players executed their roles well, there was a common belief in what is possible and how to achieve that and the result is there for them to enjoy.
Quewin Nortje is the speedster on the outside ⚡
He bags the Blitzboks second try in the Cup Semi-Final 🏉
📺 Stream #HSBCSVNSLAX on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw pic.twitter.com/zxHC38zOae
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) May 4, 2025
'This performance completes the puzzle for us and what a beautiful picture we got. This was the true colours of Springbok Sevens and I cannot be prouder of what it represented and displayed this weekend.'
The Blitzboks coach reflected on the major moments of the weekend. 'Our defence was great, the attack worked well, while there was this hunger in each player to use this tournament to make up for the disappointing ones we had along the way.'
Blitzboks captain Selvyn Davids said the effort during the weekend made him proud.
'The guys left everything out there on the field, we gave it our all,' he said. 'That is an amazing feeling. We fought for each other and we fought for the badge and knowing we achieved that was already a win for me.'
Davids said the lesson learnt from this season is consistency is key to everything.
'The consistency we lacked during the year prevented us from reaching our full potential as a team. This tournament we managed to maintain the same level of excellence and that proved gold for us.'
Davids, named Player of the Final, said the weekend's performance came via a complete team effort.
'The format of only eight teams was always going to be demanding, but we managed to stay in the moment in each game. We had dark spots during matches, but every time someone did something special to make that disappear.
'Everyone focused on the next job and got it done. I am so proud of this.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald
4 hours ago
- The Herald
More points for Moodley in Aragon
Gqeberha riding sensation Ruche Moodley had an exceptional outing at this past weekend's round of the Moto3 World Championship, with the sole SA rider in the field making a successful return from a fractured arm and a missed round in France. Moodley crossed the finish line in 14th at Ciudad del Motor de Aragon in Spain, claiming yet more points in his first-ever campaign at this level. Having had some more recovery time and battling through the pain at the last round in Silverstone, he was more optimistic heading into round eight. 'I knew that Silverstone was going to be tough. 'But with a bit more time to build more strength in my injured arm, I had a good feeling going into this weekend's Aragon race,' said the teenager. And so it proved with Moodley starting the weekend feeling confident and stronger, ending in 10th place at the end of the opening practice session on Friday morning. He maintained this strong showing and claimed 14th place in the second session. MotoGP applies an interesting system for qualifying, with the top 10 times recorded in the second practice session giving riders a free pass directly into qualifying 2 (Q2). In Q2, they compete for pole position. The rest of the field has to fight in Q1 for their grid positions. A similar concept has been applied to Moto3, where the top 14 riders immediately pass into Q2, so Moodley's lap time was quick enough to progress straight into Q2. 'It was great to keep up the early pace from the start of the weekend. 'I had a good feeling with the bike and delivered a lap that was quick enough to get into Q2. 'I knew from there it was game on.' Qualifying in Aragon relies heavily on slipstreaming. There is a nearly 1km-long straight towards the end of the lap where a good draft can be worth about half a second per lap. Moodley preferred to run alone during qualifying, where another rider's mistake can ruin a good lap time. This may have cost a little time, but a clean lap meant he would start 14th on the grid. The Moto3 race start was, as always, a close-fought affair. Aragon is an exceptional motorcycle circuit that provides plenty of overtaking opportunities, so Moodley fought hard from the beginning. 'I knew it's a long race here and that tyre strategy would come into play and our strategy since the start of my rookie season has been to complete every race as we learn all the tracks of the calendar.' Moodley slowly picked off his rivals to edge up to 14th by half race distance with his pace hotting up as the race progressed and his confidence built. His quickest lap time was quicker than his qualifying lap, and just a few tenths off the race leaders. 'There was a massive 10-bike group battling for the lead. 'I was just off that pack, in the middle ground. 'They were all dragging each other along down the long straight. 'I could see them, but I was just too far back to get a slipstream. 'It was a bit frustrating, but they were also not getting away from me.' 'All in all, I am pleased with how this weekend progressed. 'It was a good showing now that my arm is getting stronger. 'We can only go upwards from here,' said the comeback kid. The Herald
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Proteas keen to replicate success of past legends in WTC final
The Proteas will be looking to emulate the class of 2013 when they attempt to lift the WTC mace against defending champs Australia this week. Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj during the Proteas warm-up match against Zimbabwe in Arundel last week. Picture: Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images Keshav Maharaj and the Proteas are inspired by past legends of the game and are determined to follow in some famous footsteps when they take on Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord's this week. They are eager to replicate the feat of the last group of South Africans to lift the famous Test Championship mace, which happened at the same venue 13 years ago. A legendary South Africa side featuring Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Graeme Smith beat England at the fabled ground to rise to world number one that day, and Maharaj revealed those memories were fuelling motivation for his side to repeat the feat. 'I remember watching that when they lifted the mace. We know that apart from doing it for us, we want to honour the legends of the past and hopefully we will one day be seen in the same calibre and light to win such a coveted title and hold the Test mace,' said Maharaj. Strong form The Proteas arrived in London in strong form following an unbeaten Test run, including seven straight wins, with their last loss coming against New Zealand in February last year. That run took the Proteas to the top of the ICC World Test Championship table and has bred plenty of confidence in camp ahead of the decider against Australia. 'When we started the journey two years ago, a lot of people didn't think we'd be in this situation, but with each and every series we grow more and more,' explained Maharaj. 'Our blend of youth and experience complements each other really nicely, and we find ourselves competing for another trophy. 'The boys have put in a lot of hard work. The excitement is building as we edge closer and it's now about letting it sink in and soaking up the occasion to allow us to play with freedom.' Maharaj is one of a number in the South African squad who have come agonisingly close to ICC silverware in the past few years. The spinner was part of the side that finished runners-up at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, while the Proteas also reached the semi-finals of both the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Near misses While those near misses still sting, Maharaj is insistent on using those experiences in a positive way. 'In previous attempts, no one expected us to reach the knockout phases of any competition, but we have reached two semi-finals and two finals,' said Maharaj. 'Hopefully through all those misses we come right in this one. There is a lot of inspiration we can draw from in the brand of cricket we have played in the last three or four years. 'If we run with it and stay true to it, hopefully this is our opportunity to finally raise that most-coveted trophy that has eluded us for a number of years.' On the personal front, Maharaj is just two away from 200 Test wickets, and while the experienced spinner is happy to trade individual accolades for team success, the prospect of bringing up the milestone at Lord's is one that he cannot escape. 'It would be very special. I don't pay too much attention to the numbers, I just want to help ensure my team wins, so hopefully I can get a 10-fer,' said Maharaj. 'I've enjoyed my journey so far, hopefully I've got a long time left, but to get that feat in front of my family at Lord's would be very special. Any cricketer always has a bucket list in terms of venues they want to play at, and this is such a wonderful opportunity for all of us.'
The South African
8 hours ago
- The South African
Comrades Marathon 2025 saw thrilling elite races
South African stars Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn further strengthened their status as two of the world's best ultra-distance runners as they emerged triumphant once again in the Comrades Marathon on Sunday. Dijane, the winner in 2022 and 2023, crossed the line first in 5:25:28, while Steyn added a fourth win to her already impressive record as she took another convincing win in 5:51:19. This makes her only the second woman (after eight-time winner Elena Nurgalieva) to win the race more than three times. This was the 98th edition of the iconic ultra between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, run in alternating directions each year, and this was the 49th edition of the Down Run. The official distance of this year's race was 89.98km, and as the event builds up to its much-anticipated 100th edition in 2027, the 2025 race attracted a record field for the Down Run of 22 677 qualifying entrants. This prompted the Comrades Marathon Association's decision to introduce the first ever split start in the event's history, for safety reasons and to allow all runners in the field the opportunity to get over the start line quicker. This saw Group 1 starting at 05:45, and Group 2 setting off at 06:00, as slightly later start than the traditional 05:30 start, in order for the runners to enjoy better light conditions in the early kilometres, notably on the descent of Polly Shortts hill. Both start groups still had 12 hours to finish the race. Another innovation in the 2025 race was a new street finish in Masabalala Yengwa Avenue, with a festive hospitality and club area next to the finish in People's Park. In the men's race, Onalenna Khonkhobe led for most of the race, but he was eventually caught with less than 20km to go. Dijane surged into the lead, but struggled to shake off the determined challenge of 2024 winner, Dutchman Piet Wiersma. The South African had to dig deep to maintain his small lead, and in a repeat finish of the 2023 race, Dijane took the win in 5:25:27, with Wiersma crossing the line in 5:25:32. 'I came prepared and stuck to my race plan,' Dijana said afterwards. 'In the last 10km, I saw Piet was closing, so I accelerated and opened the gap, and I felt like I was in control.' Nikolai Volkov produced a storming finish, chasing down a number of athletes in the closing stages of the race to grab third position in 5:29:41. Fourth was 2019 men's winner, Edward Mothibi (5:31:40), while fifth place went to Joseph Manyedi (5:32:08). There were six South Africans in the top 10, including three of the top five. Meanwhile, Zambian athlete Elizabeth Mukoloma led the women's contest until shortly after the halfway mark, but once Steyn took the lead, she never looked back. Former winner Alexandra Morozova recovered from cramps and started closing the gap on Steyn in the second half, but the South African managed to draw clear again, finishing in 5:51:18, with Morozova nearly five minutes behind in 5:55:55. Kenyan athlete Shelmith Muriuki, making her Comrades debut, held on to take third position in 6:07:55. 'Today was yet another wonderful experience out on the road at the Comrades Marathon, and to see this race going from strength to strength and to be a part of it is such an honour for me. It's really special,' said Steyn. 'I've spoken a lot about what this race means to me, and today it was cemented once again. The race went well. I set out at a more conservative pace because I really wanted to try and run my optimum race today, and it worked out well.' Fourth over the line in 6:11:34 was Olympic Marathoner and former 50km World Record-holder Irvette van Zyl, making her Comrades debut a fine day out. Poland's Dominika Stelmach rounded out the women's top five in 6:12:01. There were three South Africans in the top 10, with Jenet Mbhele the third local athlete over the line in seventh position (6:14:23). Reflecting on a successful 98th edition of the race, Comrades Marathon Association General Manager Alain Dalais said, 'We are really happy with the way the split start worked so well, with both start groups clearing the start line within six minutes. 'We've also received a lot of positive feedback about the new street finish, and we look forward to building on these aspects as we prepare for 2027. 'We treated this 2025 race as a dress rehearsal for the 100th edition, and while every race will have things that we can improve on, we are happy with the innovations introduced this year, and feel we are on track for an even better Down Run in 2027. 'I would like to congratulate all the runners who took part in today's race, from Tete Dijane and Gerda Steyn to the final finishers in the last hour, from the novices tackling their first Comrades Marathon and those earning their back-to-back medals, to the Yellow Number Runners completing their 10th and earning their Green Numbers, and all the way to Louis Massyn, finishing his 50th and becoming the first athlete ever to reach this incredible Quintuple Green Number milestone. 'On behalf of the Comrades Marathon Association, we hope that you enjoyed your race experience, and we look forward to welcoming you back to The Ultimate Human Race next year, when we once again take on the challenge of the Up Run,' he added. 'Of course, a race of this magnitude cannot be put on without the input, dedication and incredible hard work of many people, and here the credit must go to our Race Organising Committee, the Comrades Marathon Association Board and its various sub-committees, and the many Comrades Marathon Volunteers and Members, who give up their time, experience and dedication to make this race possible. 'Thank you also to our incredible sponsors, that we are proud to call both supporters and friends, many of whom also contribute vibrant activations and refreshment stations along the route. It really is a team effort by all of these people, organisations, and companies, and is truly what makes the spirit of the Comrades Marathon what it is,' concluded Dalais. Tete Dijana 05:25:27 Piet Wiersma 05:25:32 Nikolai Volkov 05:29:41 Edward Mothibi 05:31:40 Joseph Manyedi 05:32:08 Alex Milne 05:34:07 David Gatebe 05:34:29 Bongmusa Mthembu 05:35:47 Gordon Lesetedi 05:36:21 Vasilii Korytkin 05:38:58 Gerda Steyn 05:51:18 Alexandra Morozova 05:55:55 Shelmith Muriuki 06:07:55 Irvette Van Zyl 06:11:34 Dominika Stelmach 06:12:01 Carla Molinaro 06:13:02 Jenet Mbhele 06:14:23 Caitriona Jennings 06:16:41 Courtney Olsen 06:17:47 Melissah Gibson 06:19:58 NOTE: All times as per Comrades Marathon release Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
