Blitzboks set sights on revival as new SVNS season kicks off in Dubai

Springbok Sevens flyer Shilton van Wyk feels that regaining their crown as the kings of Dubai could once again act as a touchstone for South African Sevens success.

The Blitzboks had their six-tournament winning streak in last year's SVNS season opener snapped. While they bounced back in spectacular fashion in the next leg in Cape Town – the emotional triumph ending a nine-year wait for home glory – the season never quite reached the heights of previous campaigns.

The Blitzboks would have to wait until the World Championship in Los Angeles to taste further success.

“In hindsight, the defeat in Dubai stung us into action in Cape Town as we needed to bounce back,” Van Wyk said from the team’s scorching Stellenbosch training base. “Having said that, we love winning in Dubai and are looking for another good outing at the end of the month.”

The Desert Kingdom has been a happy hunting ground for the 25-year-old outside back, who has won four Dubai titles in his 27 tournaments since his Blitzbok debut in 2022. But his main focus in 2026 is not nostalgia; it’s restoring South Africa’s edge at the top end of the series, which Argentina won last season, with the Blitzboks finishing fourth.

“I really want to make a difference this year. We have some clear objectives for the season and Dubai and then Cape Town feature prominently.

"The fact that I have tasted victory in both tournaments does not matter, the hunger for more remains,” Van Wyk said. He has seen the extremes of life on the circuit, recalling a time when Blitzbok shares plummeted and they were also-rans on the circuit.

“I will never forget the one time we were the very first team to arrive on day one of a tournament and we were almost the only ones in the stadium. And some other teams, which I would not name, were laughing at our performances at that time. Luckily, we could get back to being a dominant team in the World Series.

“From that low, we have achieved some remarkable highs, like winning in Cape Town and then the World Championship in Los Angeles last year,” Van Wyk said.

The speedster feels the intensity in the training camp is proof that they are on track to rekindle the glory days. “We are progressing well, I feel, and the squad has some good depth this year in all positions, so we are pushing each other hard for a place in the squad for Dubai and, of course, Cape Town,” he said. “We realised how much it means to win at home so everyone will be keen to repeat that when we come back in December.”

He also has a personal milestone in his sights: the 35-tournament mark long celebrated within the Blitzbok setup. Achieving it, he says, will require consistent form, selection and staying injury-free, but that target is secondary to the squad’s ambitions.

The Blitzboks team to travel to the season opener in Dubai on 29 and 30 November will be announced next week.