Blitzboks triumph: Siviwe Soyizwapi's remarkable shift from wing to prop fuels World Championship victory
The shift from wing to prop has extended the career of former captain Siviwe Soyizwapi, who has completely changed his game for the betterment of the team.
The Blitzboks were down to six men in the World Championship final in Los Angeles in the final two minutes after Zander Reynders was sent to the sin bin for taking a Spanish player out in the air.
The match was at a knife-edge at the time with South Africa leading 14-5. In Spain's first attack with the one-player advantage, Mfundo Ndhlovu made a big tackle in midfield before Siviwe Soyizwapi pounced over rapidly to jackal the ball and win a crucial penalty for the Springbok Sevens.
In the context of the match, it meant that South Africa could run the clock down before adding another score in the final play of the match to seal a memorable 19-5 win and their first World Championship title.
Two years ago, Soyizwapi would have been marking the edge of the field waiting for an opportunity to unleash his explosive pace. Now, he's in the thick of the action, using his power game to effect the result.
The move from wing to prop has been a big adjustment for the former captain, who had to pick up three kilogrammes – going from 88kg to 91kg — to help with the adjustment.
A long-term knee injury in 2023, which had affected his pace, as well as the emergence of young wingers in the South African Sevens system meant Soyizwapi was left in a tricky situation when he had returned from injury last year.
'When I first heard that I was going to move forward it was quite something to think about,' Soyizwapi told Daily Maverick.
'I spent some time meditating on it. However, I thought whatever is best for the team, I should do that.
'What actually convinced me was that there are really explosive, faster young guys who are coming through who play on the wing, so it would be selfish of me to stay out wide.'
Winger Quewin Nortje (22), who came through the SA Sevens system in the last two seasons, is the highest try scorer for the Blitzboks this season.
Packing on
Blitzboks coach Philip Snyman, who played as prop himself in his playing days, asked Soyizwapi to make the move.
'I remember coach [Philip Snyman] asked me how much I weigh, initially, and I realised that I'm going to have to at least weigh what he weighed when he was still playing,' Soyizwapi said.
'I packed on three kilogrammes, going from 88kg to 91kg. Then I moved to the front row. I felt strong as soon as I put on that weight; in the gym you can push heavier.
'After I hit 91kg I felt confident. I said to the coach: 'I'm ready for the move.' It's the heaviest I've ever been.'
The switch in position means the 32-year-old has been given a new lease of life and has extended his career. While he may not be able to beat his man on the outside any more, he can run over him.
'That's the one thing I can say I'm grateful for,' Soyizwapi said. 'At some stage — when you're playing out on the wing — you'll have to make three or four hundred-metre runs, one after the other. To be honest I don't think I can do that any more.
'Moving to the front, using other facets and having a different role, in terms of the physicality and the pressure points and turnovers of the game, definitely extended my career a bit.
'I still feel fast when I run out there. Maybe not as fast as the other guys, but I'm definitely a fast forward.'
Changing up
Soyizwapi was the leader of the Blitzboks at the time of his injury, a position that has since been taken over by Selvyn Davids. But he remains a core part of the leadership group.
'For us, it's more than saying or talking, it's about leading by example in what we do so the guys know what's allowed and what's not allowed,' he said.
'We are the bridge between what the coaches actually expect culture-wise and gameplan-wise. Not just from the younger guys but from the whole team. We try to spearhead that.'
Winning the World Championship in Los Angeles this past weekend was the short-term goal for the team. Their long-term ambition is having the gold medal wrapped around their necks in the same city in 2028 when the Olympic Games hit LA.
The Blitzboks sealed a terrific bronze medal in Paris last year.
'It's incredible,' Soyizwapi said on winning the World Championship. 'It's weird that we won it [having won] one tournament because if I'm honest, our season didn't really reflect '2025 series winners'.
'However, for us it was always about where we are as a team. Where were we two years ago and how far are we from getting to where we want to go?
'The final picture is actually LA '28. After this series and this tournament that we just played, I think we took a good step towards LA '28.'
Soyizwapi's effective and dramatic switch from wing to prop proves you can teach an old dog new tricks. Tricks that he will look to continue to improve on heading into the next few seasons, with no indication of slowing down despite the false whispers of an imminent retirement. DM
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