‘They’ve been looking after me very well’ – RG Snyman has new lease on life at Leinster
GIVEN HOW HIS time with the province has gone to date, it comes as little surprise to hear South African international RG Snyman was more than happy to sign a recent contract extension with Leinster.
Despite only making 20 appearances across a four-year stint at Munster that was severely curtailed by injury, the two-time Rugby World Cup winner has already lined out for the eastern province on 15 occasions since joining from their arch rivals on a one-year deal ahead of the 2024/25 season.
As he has remained injury-free up to this point, Leinster were understandably eager to retain Snyman’s services beyond the conclusion of their current campaigns in the United Rugby Championship and the European Champions Cup.
The towering Springbok was keen to remain in the Blues’ set-up himself and on the morning of 27 March, news officially came through that he had penned a new contract that will keep him in Dublin until the summer of 2026 at the very least.
“I’ve had a great season so far in terms of having fun, getting back fit, getting playing. Getting some good minutes going and I really enjoy the environment. I feel like this is where my game will continue to improve and continue to go ahead. I’m very, very happy to stay on,” Snyman acknowledged at a Leinster media briefing on Monday.
“They’ve been looking after me very well. Honestly, just being in the team every week, being out at training, being able to get out on the field every weekend is [great]. It’s a little bit of a change of pace I guess for me, but it’s brilliant. I’m really having fun. That’s why it made the decision for me quite easy.”
When it was initially revealed in December 2023 that he was going to be making the switch from Munster, there was an expectation Snyman would only be spending a single season at Leinster. This now won’t prove to be the case, but the 30-year-old lock insisted he wasn’t thinking beyond the current term when he did opt for a move to Leo Cullen’s side.
“To be honest, I was only focused on this season and this year and whatever happens, happens. I guess it also gets you in a little bit of a different mindset. You kind of throw everything you have at it. So I’d like to continue doing the same.”
Along with Rabah Slimani and Jordie Barrett, Snyman was one of three overseas signings made by Leinster for the new season.
While he did play once before against Slimani in an autumn international encounter between South Africa and France in Saint-Denis on 10 November, 2018, Snyman has enjoyed more recent battles with Barrett in the Test arena.
In 2023 alone, they clashed on no fewer than three occasions in showdowns featuring their respective nations of South Africa and New Zealand – a Rugby Championship encounter in Auckland, a World Cup warm-up at Twickenham Stadium and a tension-filled World Cup final in Stade de France.
Having been on the opposite side to Barrett as part of one of international rugby’s most enduring rivalries, Snyman is finding it fascinating to now be in the same environment as the versatile Kiwi.
“It’s obviously interesting to get to know somebody a little bit on a deeper level off the field. Because usually you’re kind of rivals and enemies. It has certainly been a great opportunity to get to know Jordie a little bit better.
“Because it is a whole different mindset here when it comes to rugby than what I do and what guys do here. It’s interesting talking about that and learning a little bit from each other as well. It has definitely been good and having a couple of beers together after games and stuff, it has been very good.”
In his final appearance for the province at Thomond Park on 15 June of last year, Snyman was unable to prevent Munster from losing out to eventual champions Glasgow Warriors in a United Rugby Championship semi-final. Previous to that, he started in the second row when the Red Army defeated Glasgow Warriors at the quarter-final stage of their successful URC campaign of 2022/23.
He is now set to feature in the colours of his current employers against the same opposition in another knockout bout on Friday – this time in the last-eight of the European Champions Cup at the Aviva Stadium.
“Glasgow’s a very good side, very well coached. I think the things they do on attack, there’s not many other teams that can replicate that or even come close to that. We are definitely looking at that this week and we need to be on our best foot come Friday. Making sure we get everything right in the prep this week,” Snyman added.