Philip Snyman named permanent Blitzboks coach until LA Games in 2028

Philip Snyman has been confirmed as permanent head coach of the Springbok Sevens side.

The former Blitzboks captain had been acting as interim head coach for the past six months after taking over from Sandile Ngcobo.

Snyman was Ngcobo's assistant coach but took over the head coaching duties in March after a series of poor results in the SVNS world series.

Snyman, 28, coached the Blitzboks to victory in the World Rugby Sevens Repechage tournament in Monaco to gain entry to the Olympic Games in Paris, where they bagged a bronze medal.

This was enough for SA Rugby to hand him the job on a permanent basis.

READ | Proud' Blitzbok coach Snyman on bronze medal win: 'The moment belongs to the players'

SA Rugby said on Thursday that Snyman had signed a deal until the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. 

"The way Philip turned around the fortunes of the Blitzboks in a short time was remarkable and speaks volumes of his abilities as a coach," said SA Rugby CEO Rian 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 brings deep institutional knowledge of the Springbok Sevens with him, having played in 62 world series events, two Rugby 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."

Snyman, who boasts experience as head coach with Uganda and Germany before his appointment as Blitzboks assistant coach in 2023, said it was a "massive honour" to be appointed as full-time head coach.

"It's a position that demands the best of what the Blitzboks can be and a position I always