The Vodacom Bulls have provided an injury update on lock Ruan Nortje, loose forward Elrigh Louw and flyhalf Johan Goosen. Goosen limped off the field during the Bulls’ final Investec Champions Cup pool match against Stade Francais at Loftus. The flyhalf had a successful operation and has already completed two weeks of his rehab programme,
The Vodacom Bulls can now give an update on the injuries of club captains Ruan Nortje and Elrigh Louw, and flyhalf Johan Goosen. Springbok lock, Nortje sustained a knee ligament injury in the first half of the Jukskei Derby in Johannesburg on the weekend of the 25th of January. The skipper has already begun his
Leinster are hopeful they will get the green light from Irish Rugby to extend Springbok lock RG Snyman’s contract. Snyman signed a one-year deal with the four-time Champions Cup winners after their arch-rivals, Munster, were unable to retain him as they had another non-Irish qualified player – Ireland-turned-Bok lock Jean Kleyn – in the same
From next season, South Africa’s franchise players will no longer have to cram into economy class when travelling to and from Europe. This will be a result of SA Rugby becoming full EPCR shareholders on 1 July. MyPlayers, the SA professional rugby players’ organisation, confirmed to Rapport that at least 15 players per team will
Hakeem Kunene has received a three-week suspension for a dangerous tackle during the Sharks’ Investec Champions Cup loss in Bordeaux last weekend. The Sharks fullback received a yellow card for the hit and was cited after the match by the citing commissioner. During an independent disciplinary hearing, Kunene acknowledging that he had committed an act of
The dates and times of the round of 16 fixtures for the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup competitions have been confirmed. In the Challenge Cup, the Lions travel to Scotland to face fellow Vodacom URC outfit Edinburgh on Friday, 4 April, at Hive Stadium. Edinburgh topped Pool 3, while the Lions finished fourth
“Beware of the team that comes in through the back door because that is generally the hungriest,” says Jake White as his Vodacom Bulls EPCR Challenge Cup round of 16 clash against French Top 14 outfit Aviron Bayonnais has been confirmed for Saturday, 05 April. The South African outfit qualified for the 2024/25 Challenge Cup
The Sharks could be without fullback Hakeem Kunene for a clash against Cardiff at Arms Park on Saturday for a dangerous hit in the Investec Champions Cup. The EPCR received a citing complaint against the outside back after a heavy defeat by Bordeaux Begles for the Sharks in their final match of the pool stages
Nick Mallett says SA teams will continue to struggle in the Investec Champions Cup for as long as their opponents have significantly bigger budgets. For the first time since joining the competition in the 2022-23 season, no side from the Republic will feature in the round-of-16 playoffs. The Vodacom Bulls and Sharks both finished fifth
The Vodacom Bulls saved their best performance for last in the 2024/25 edition of the Investec Championship Cup as they scored an impressive seven tries to one for a comprehensive 48-7 victory over Stade Français Paris at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. While the emphatic victory was not good enough to earn the men from the
France skipper Antoine Dupont believes that Toulouse’s thrashing of Leicester Tigers in the Investec Champions Cup was the perfect warm-up for the Six Nations. Dupont scored two of the 12 tries on Sunday as the six-time champions hammered Michael Cheika’s Tigers 80-12 in their final pool game of the European tournament that also includes South
Siya Kolisi said South African teams “deserve to be criticised” if they underperform in the Investec Champions Cup, but the Sharks skipper is convinced they can do better. The Springbok talisman was speaking post-match on Sunday after the Sharks exited the prestigious EPCR competition with a crushing 66-12 defeat by Bordeaux Begles at Stade Chaban-Delmas
