Captain Philip Snyman says the Blitzboks are proud to have retained their World Sevens Series crown after winning the Paris Sevens on Sunday.

The Blitzboks clinched the series ― after playing over eight months and 10 tournaments around the globe ― with a thrilling victory over England in the final of the Paris Sevens, pipping Fiji for the overall series glory.

Snyman said that the victory was all the more rewarding given that the Blitzboks faced a plethora of injuries throughout the series, with several academy players being blooded along the way.

WATCH: Sevens Series Dream Team

‘One cannot describe all the emotions – relief, gratitude, satisfaction, pride and gratefulness are just a few of the things we feel as a group.

‘We really took the long road this time around, having to win the final match of the final tournament to win the series. The way the squad responded was hugely inspirational.

‘That said, the effort from the squad over the 10 tournaments was equally rewarding. We had good wins, patchy performances, injuries to key players, new faces, but in all of that, we had a system that we believed in, a process that delivers results, a management that works so hard for us and of course, a support structure back home that we play for.

‘That is our families, but also our fans, who kept supporting us wherever in the world we found ourselves,’ Snyman added.

HIGHLIGHTS: Paris Sevens (Day 2)

• The Blitzboks will arrive at Cape Town International Airport on Tuesday at 10:10am (estimated).

Photo: Steve Bardens/Getty Images