Blitzboks set their sights on Singapore after Cape Town high

Fresh from the electric atmosphere of their Cape Town triumph, the Blitzboks are already buckling down for their next big test. This weekend’s HSBC SVNS Singapore tournament is calling, and the team is determined to prove that a home victory is only the beginning of what they can achieve this season.

Turning the page after Cape Town celebrations

For forward Zander Reynders, the shift from champagne moments to hard graft began the moment the squad stepped onto their Monday flight out of Cape Town. He knows better than most that in a new-look, eight-team format, every game feels like a knockout.

“You play the same opponents more often now, so everyone knows each other well,” he explained. “The margins are tiny. Even our opening match feels like a quarter-final. Cape Town won’t help us here. We start again.”

The Blitzboks’ pool features Great Britain, Spain and Fiji, a trio that will test both their rhythm and mental sharpness under Singapore’s humid conditions.

Mixed memories and a chance at redemption

South Africa’s history in Singapore has been a bit of a rollercoaster. They last won the title in 2019, with the only other triumph dating back to 2004. Still, the stadium holds a personal memory for Reynders, who scored his first Blitzbok try there last year.

But that same tour also came with frustration. “It was after a disappointing weekend in Hong Kong and things didn’t improve in Singapore. I’m hoping this trip gives us better emotions and better results.”

That desire for redemption adds a quiet fire to the squad’s preparations.

Guiding the newcomers through tour life

This trip also marks the first overseas assignment for two newcomers, Renaldo Young and Luan Giliomee. Reynders remembers what it felt like to be the nervous rookie unsure about everything from seat rotations to meal etiquette.

So he has taken both players under his wing, starting at their pre-flight Spur meal and continuing through the long haul to Asia. “I want to make the experience easier for them. Small things can overwhelm you on your first tour.”

It’s a small window into the team’s culture: fierce on the field, family-like off it.

A tight turnaround and a quirky mission of his own

With the squad landing Tuesday and kicking off on Saturday, sightseeing won’t be on the itinerary. Training blocks, video analysis and recovery sessions will dominate the schedule.

Still, Reynders admits he does have one personal mission: tracking down a well-known tea shop on the island to buy gifts for his tea-loving in-laws.

“I promised I’d bring something back. They are serious tea drinkers,” he said with a grin. “There’s a shop with teas from all over the world. That’s where I’ll be if we get a day off.”

Social buzz around the Blitzboks’ next step

On South African social media, fans have shifted quickly from celebration mode to tactical debate. Many are confident, others cautious, but all are plugged in. Highlights of the Cape Town win are still circulating on TikTok and X, while supporters are already predicting matchups and try scorers for Singapore.

For a team carrying both expectation and belief, the online energy mirrors their own: hopeful, hungry and ready for another statement performance.

{ Source: SABC Sport}

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