Blitzboks: ‘Showed what we’re all about and what this jersey is all about’

As the Blitzboks celebrated their second consecutive HSBC SVNS Series title in Cape Town, captain Impi Visser paused to reflect on the campaign, insisting the home side had shown “what this jersey is all about” during their run to glory.

When the full-time whistle sounded at the end of the SVNS Cape Town decider 12 months ago, the atmosphere at DHL Stadium seemed electric. Rugby fans in the Western Cape brought an incredible atmosphere to the venue, spurring the Blitzboks on in their title-winning run.

It was the same story last weekend in the 2025/26 SVNS Series, with the Blitzboks defeating Los Pumas Sevens 21-19 in an all-time classic final. Shilton van Wyk was crowned the Player of the Final after delivering some match-defining heroics late in the piece.

Van Wyk passed the ball to Christie Grobbelaar who raced away for the match-levelling score with only a matter of seconds left. Ricardo Duarttee added the extras to give the Blitzboks a two-point lead that they wouldn’t surrender.

An error at the restart gifted Argentina possession on the halfway line, but Duarttee helped the hosts secure a pilfer penalty to seal victory. For the first time ever, the Blitzboks have gone back-to-back as champions as their home event.

“It’s a tough final. I think we made it a little bit difficult for us with our error rate being so high,” Visser said post-game, as seen on RugbyPass TV.

“The boys showed massive character, especially throughout the weekend. We had some tough games but the boys pulled through.

“I think we showed what we’re all about and what this jersey is all about.”

South Africa took out the title in Cape Town last season before winning the SVNS Series World Championship in Los Angeles. To start the 2025/26 campaign, the All Blacks Sevens made a statement in Dubai by winning that final against Australia.

Both the Blitzboks and Los Pumas Sevens fell short of their title-winning goals at the season-opener, but men’s sevens is supremely competitive right now. Australia finished seventh in Cape Town, while two new sides made their way to a final.

The Blitzboks had been very emotional pre-game, with some players even crying during the national anthems, but the team made sure to repay the faith shown in them by supporters yet again. It meant a lot to both players and fans, and you could see that at full-time.

“It’s a massive honour and a privilege. There’s so many people that wish that they were in our shoes,” Visser explained.

“We just try and leave the jersey in a better place than we received it. We’re building on the legacy of the guys that came before us.

“It’s just a massive, massive honour. We just thank everyone that came out to support us today.”