Coach Philip Snyman lauded his side’s character after the Blitzboks clinched the New York title and the 2026 SVNS Series crown.
South Africa edged Fiji 10-7 in Sunday’s final to seal both prizes in the first-ever tournament held at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New York.
For Snyman, the victory was less about flashy rugby and more about the character his team showed under pressure.
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“This was special, not because of the execution of play, but the heart and intensity to play for each other that was shown out there,” he said.
“They showed what the Springbok Sevens stand for and played for that jersey, and as a coach, you cannot be prouder of such an effort.
“The defensive effort was something else from minute one until the last play. In the final sequence of play, Fiji created an overlap here and there, but the guys never gave up, and they could not get through.
“How some of those players got into some defensive positions to cover, I don’t know. But what I do know is that drive from within to get there. That is what we are about.”
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Snyman also praised the squad for embracing his vision of building depth by introducing new players into the system.
“The senior players bought in and started to contribute, and every new player coming in had the backing of support of the senior guys as well and that made it possible to continue with that plan.
“We are not done yet. We need to keep growing and improving. We will have a rest now but will come back as determined for the three tournaments of the World Championship [in Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux].”
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