The Blitzboks visited Paulus Joubert Secondary School in Paarl on Wednesday 7 October, using the occasion to extend their #PoweredbyUnity message beyond the rugby field into conversations around responsible masculinity, bullying and gender-based violence.
The school carries particular significance for the squad — it is the alma mater of Kurt-Lee Arendse, assistant coach Renfred Dazel and the late Tinus Linee. Players led discussions encouraging learners to challenge harmful behaviour, take responsibility for their actions and speak up when others are being harmed.
"None of us gets to wear this jersey on our own," said last season's Blitzboks captain Impi Visser. "There are families, teachers, coaches and communities who help us get here. We wanted the learners to understand how much that support matters and that they can be that person for someone else."
Selvyn Davids reinforced the message: "You can be strong and still ask for help; you can be confident and still respect someone else's boundaries. What we do off the field says as much about us as what we achieve on it."
The visit concluded with a seven-minute fitness exercise run alongside the players, designed to reflect the communication and collective effort the team demands on the field.
Head coach Phillip Snyman framed the broader purpose: "We want that moment to leave them with something they can carry into their own lives: the confidence to keep trying, the courage to ask for support and the understanding that their choices can make a difference to someone else."
SA Rugby has also launched #BlitzNation, a campaign built around the #PoweredbyUnity theme. Its centrepiece is the Seven-Minute Blitz challenge, which invites South Africans to show what they can create, complete or transform in seven minutes and share it using #BlitzNation. School visits and community activities form part of the broader rollout as the team prepares for the new HSBC SVNS season.