The Blitzboks' scoring sensation, Quewin Nortje, is set to blaze trails on the field once again as he returns from injury for the 2026 season's opener in Hong Kong. After a sidelined season, the 23-year-old winger is primed to reignite his try-scoring prowess for South Africa in the upcoming SVNS World Championship. With a remarkable tally of 32 tries from just 12 appearances, Nortje last dazzled at the Los Angeles championship in May 2025, helping the Blitzboks clinch the title.
The squad has undergone a shuffle with Nortje's return marking one of three changes. The regular series saw the Blitzboks emerging victorious in four out of six tournaments, thanks to efforts in cities like Vancouver and New York. Injuries have sidelined Christie Grobbelaar, Dewald Human, and Gino Cupido, all of whom sustained them during the North American tour. Meanwhile, Zain Davids is making a comeback after a rest period, and young Jayden Nell continues to hold his spot following an impressive debut in New York.
"We started over; this is a new challenge and we have some players coming back, so we had to align first and the best way to do that is to start at the basics,"
explained Blitzboks coach Philip Snyman.
He elaborated on the team's preparation, "We worked hard in training, pushed each other very hard and reminded ourselves of our objectives at the start of this campaign. Doing well in Hong Kong was one of them, so we know what we are training for."
The Blitzboks have yet to leave their mark in Hong Kong, a fact not lost on Snyman and his squad. With the tournament set to unfold at the Kai Tak Sports Park, the team is eager to amend this gap in their record. The pool stages will see South Africa pitted against Argentina, Spain, and Uruguay.
Blitzboks fixtures: Friday, 17 April - 5:16am: vs. Uruguay 8:49am: vs. Spain Saturday, 18 April - 6:13am: vs. Argentina
Hong Kong pools (men): Group A: South Africa, Argentina, Spain, Uruguay Group B: Fiji, France, Great Britain, Germany Group C: New Zealand, Australia, Kenya, USA
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The Blitzboks' scoring sensation, Quewin Nortje, is set to blaze trails on the field once again as he returns from injury for the 2026 season's opener in Hong Kong. After a sidelined season, the 23-year-old winger is primed to reignite his try-scoring prowess for South Africa in the upcoming SVNS World Championship. With a remarkable tally of 32 tries from just 12 appearances, Nortje last dazzled at the Los Angeles championship in May 2025, helping the Blitzboks clinch the title.
The squad has undergone a shuffle with Nortje's return marking one of three changes. The regular series saw the Blitzboks emerging victorious in four out of six tournaments, thanks to efforts in cities like Vancouver and New York. Injuries have sidelined Christie Grobbelaar, Dewald Human, and Gino Cupido, all of whom sustained them during the North American tour. Meanwhile, Zain Davids is making a comeback after a rest period, and young Jayden Nell continues to hold his spot following an impressive debut in New York.
"We started over; this is a new challenge and we have some players coming back, so we had to align first and the best way to do that is to start at the basics,"
explained Blitzboks coach Philip Snyman.He elaborated on the team's preparation, "We worked hard in training, pushed each other very hard and reminded ourselves of our objectives at the start of this campaign. Doing well in Hong Kong was one of them, so we know what we are training for."
The Blitzboks have yet to leave their mark in Hong Kong, a fact not lost on Snyman and his squad. With the tournament set to unfold at the Kai Tak Sports Park, the team is eager to amend this gap in their record. The pool stages will see South Africa pitted against Argentina, Spain, and Uruguay.
Blitzboks fixtures:
Friday, 17 April - 5:16am: vs. Uruguay
8:49am: vs. Spain
Saturday, 18 April - 6:13am: vs. Argentina
Hong Kong pools (men):
Group A: South Africa, Argentina, Spain, Uruguay
Group B: Fiji, France, Great Britain, Germany
Group C: New Zealand, Australia, Kenya, USA