Rugby Team, Blitzboks, Boiling with Excitement Prior to Hometoown Match in Cape Town at SVNS
The Blitzboks, Olympic bronze medallists, are on a mission at this year's SVNS Cape Town tournament, eager to outshine their past entertainments. After a disastrous stint in the previous SVNS series, they missed out on automatic qualification for the Olympic Games and needed a miracle to punch their ticket.
Mid-season, they received a boost when Philip Snyman replaced Sandile Ngcobo as head coach, rallying the team in tough times. Snyman's troops worked their magic by winning the Repechage tournament in Monaco, securing a spot in the Paris Olympics where they surpassed expectations by bagging bronze.
Now, they aim to reclaim South Africa's former glory in the SVNS series and are in for a thunderous welcome home party, louder than ever, as this will be their first tournament on home soil since their Olympic heroics.
SVNS Cape Town is more than just a sports spectacle. It's a two-day extravaganza that merges the best of both worlds, offering action-packed rugby and electrifying entertainment with Cape Town's iconic Table Mountain as the backdrop.
Cape Town's own street hip-hop legends, the Street Stylers, have planned a world group dancing record attempt based on the "Amapiano NoDNA JustRSA" dance, which has over 15 million views on social media. Fans are invited to join the fun!
Cape Town is one of seven legendary destinations hosting the SVNS series, featuring the 12 best men's and women's teams. The Grand Final weekend in May will see the top eight teams compete in Las Vegas to be crowned series champions.
As for the relegation play-off, teams ranked 9th to 12th will face off against the top four teams from the Challenger Series to secure their place in the next year's edition. There are three new teams this year – Kenya and Uruguay men's teams and China women.
The men's teams consist of South Africa, Argentina, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, France (defending champions and Olympic gold medallists), Fiji, Great Britain, USA, Spain, Uruguay, and Kenya. The women's teams are Australia (defending champions), New Zealand (Olympic champions), France, USA, Canada, Fiji, Ireland, Great Britain, Japan, Brazil, Spain, and China.
Snyman, coaching the team until the end of the 2028 Olympic Games cycle, has selected a balanced, experienced, and exciting squad with Impi Visser and Zain Davids serving as co-captains. The Blitzboks are hoping to break their Cape Town drought, having last won their home tournament in 2015 and finishing as runners-up in 2016 and 2019.
Given the team's spirit after qualifying and medaling at the Paris Olympics, along with crowd support as returning heroes, it's safe to bet on the Blitzboks. Check the official SVNS website for the latest updates on their schedule and other tournament information closer to the event.
Quintin Van Jaarsveld, a respected and experienced sports writer, pens this piece. With years of experience writing for various platforms, Quintin is currently a freelance sports writer, dedicated to keeping fans updated on the exciting world of rugby.
[1] https://www.worldrugby.org/men-s-series/tv-and-live-stream-schedule[2] https://www.sarugby.co.za/news/all-blitzbokke-to-play-for-SA-against-MIXED-UNITES-IN-FRANCE[3] https://www.worldrugby.org/womens-challenger-series/challenger-series-2022-23/challenger-series-update-1[4] https://www.ultimaterugby.com/[5] https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/sarugby/springboks-sets-a-record-with-orders-for-green-and-gold-jerseys-20220930
Fans of the Blitzboks, the Olympic bronze medal-winning rugby team, might consider a bet on their performance at the SVNS Cape Town tournament. With their recent victory in the Repechage tournament in Monaco and the momentum they gained from their bronze medal win at the Paris Olympics, the Blitzboks are eager to break their Cape Town drought and reclaim South Africa's former glory at the event.
