South Africa’s rugby sevens captain Philip Snyman announced his retirement on Tuesday from all forms of rugby following a career-ending back injury.
No further details were given of Snyman’s injury or when he suffered it.
“The time has come for me to return the no 2 Springbok Sevens jersey and hang up my boots. Looking back on my career, it is incredibly humbling to realise that the list of individuals and organisations that I need to thank could go on and on,” Snyman said in a statement on social media.
Snyman, 32, played in 62 World Series tournaments and 276 matches for the South African rugby sevens team scoring a total of 376 points.
Snyman won the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series three times and an Olympic Games bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
He is the only South African to have played at three sevens Rugby World Cups having participated in Dubai (2008), Moscow (2013) and San Francisco (2018).
“Today I am retiring as a player with a full heart and no regrets. My gratitude is endless,” Snyman’s statement concluded.
South African Rugby President Mark Alexander paid tribute to Snyman, who captained the Blitzboks in 28 tournaments, as a player who was fully deserving of his achievements.
“Philip’s ability to bring the best of out the Blitzboks was only one of his wonderful strengths as a captain. Under his leadership, the Blitzboks always played until the final whistle and his humility in his captaincy was always a hallmark of him as a leader,” Alexander said.
