Share

Cape Town faithful to inspire Blitzboks - Snyman

Cape Town - A packed Cape Town Stadium and a sell-out crowd do give them extra legs and the Blitzboks are determined to reward the South African faithful with a commanding performance at the forthcoming HSBC Cape Town Sevens this weekend.

According to the Springbok Sevens captain Philip Snyman, the team loves playing at home, but as they saw last year, it does not guarantee tournament win.

READ: Specman keen to excite in Cape Town

The 48-tournament veteran joined the other 15 team captains on the roof of the Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday for a rather unique captains' photograph and admitted afterwards that the nerves were starting to tingle.

"When we entered the stadium I felt some nervous energy and remembered our performances from last year," said Snyman.

"We won five matches in a row thanks to some fantastic crowd support and then lost the final, the one that mattered, to England.

"That was much to the disappointment not only of ourselves, but the huge crowd as well. Although we are not looking back, those memories will make us more determined to go all the way."

The Blitzboks love playing in front of their supporters, but Snyman believes the pressure will be a positive one.

"We start every tournament at zero, as we do with this one. We are not putting any pressure on ourselves, in fact, we will be going out there to enjoy this one," said Snyman.

"We have faith in our structures and we know they work if implemented correctly. If we can do that this weekend and have a smile on our faces, it will be a good tournament."

Play on Saturday kicks off at 12:15.

Pools for Cape Town Sevens:

Pool A: South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia
Pool B: New Zealand, Australia, Spain, USA
Pool C: England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda
Pool D: Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales

Image: Gallo

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1818 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1778 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE