Snyman set for third World Cup

Springbok Sevens captain Philip Snyman (above) is in line for a third consecutive Rugby World Cup Sevens appearance after being named in the Blitzboks training squad for the tournament in San Francisco from July 20 to 22.

Snyman is also a three-time winner of the World Rugby Sevens Series with the Blitzboks.

Coach Neil Powell began final preparations in Stellenbosch with a training camp, consisting of Snyman and 14 other players. The coach will name a 12-man squad and two reserve players in the week before the team departs to San Francisco on July 14.

Snyman represented South Africa at the 2009 World Cup in Dubai and again in 2013, in Moscow, Russia. On both occasions, South Africa got eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Another 2013 squad member, Branco du Preez, has also being included, but injuries have ruled out Chris Dry, Kyle Brown, Cecil Afrika, and Seabelo Senatla.

Dry has failed to recover after injuring his knee at the Cape Town Sevens in December, while Brown (knee injury in Singapore), Afrika (hamstring in London) and Senatla (groin injury in Paris) all picked up injuries in the latter part of the World Rugby Sevens Series, where South Africa dramatically secured a second consecutive World Series title.

Powell lamented the loss of the players, but said the emergence of a number of younger players in the squad came at the right time.

“We used 28 players during the World Series for this specific reason,” said Powell.

“With three major tournaments in one season (the Commonwealth Games was played in April), we realised that player welfare and management would be key for us to be successful in those events. That policy paid off, I believe, as we still have a very competent squad, despite the loss of a number of star players.”

The Blitzboks move base to Johannesburg next week, with training sessions and warm-up matches against the Lions 7s team on the agenda. They will return to Cape Town next Friday and will have a final camp in Mossel Bay from July 7 to 12 before departing for the US. –