However, there was disappointment for the Emirates Lions, who went down to their neighbours from Pretoria in local derby, and DHL Stormers, who came up short against Leinster in Dublin. The Vodacom Bulls earned their sixth victory in the competition as they defeated the Emirates Lions 35-22 in a Jukskei derby in Johannesburg, while the
All four local franchises have been participating in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup competitions in the last two weekends, but their attention will now shift with the halfway mark in the Vodacom URC looming. The Vodacom Bulls and Hollywoodbets Sharks will look to hold onto their places in the top eight, while
“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 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
Script writers could not have conjured up a better finish to the first four weeks of the prestigious European competition – the top spot in each Pool is still undecided with one game to go, while the bottom teams can theoretically still be alive in the Champions Cup after this weekend. With the exception of
The Hollywoodbets Sharks and DHL Stormers – who are both in fourth place in their pools – will have one last roll of the dice to secure playoff spots in the Investec Champions Cup, while the Emirates Lions and Toyota Cheetahs – both ranked fifth in their groups – will be under immense pressure to
In the Investec Champions Cup only the Hollywoodbets Sharks are currently ranked in the top four in their pool with two pool matches remaining, while the Vodacom Bulls are currently ranked fifth and the DHL Stormers sixth, making victories important if they are to advance to the Round of 16. The same applies for the
After the local teams all failed to make any impression in the second round before the Christmas break, there was an understandable air of negativity pervading over the South African chances in the competition. In the six games played by local sides in the first two rounds, the three SA teams won only one, when
The DHL Stormers defeated the Emirates Lions 29-10 in Cape Town in what marked their third victory in the competition this season, while the Hollywoodbets Sharks surprised the third-placed Vodacom Bulls in Durban in an encounter that kept fans in the packed stadium on the edge of their seats in the closing minutes as they
The Vodacom United Rugby Championship returned this weekend with some cracking festive fixtures Football fan Matthews shines on historic Hampden occasion Reigning champions Glasgow Warriors marked a historic day for Scottish rugby and the Vodacom URC by providing further proof that they are not about to relinquish their league title easily. In the first game
A third local derby, between the two coastal sides, is scheduled a week later and all three these clashes will go a long way in determining the winner of the SA Shield for the 2024/25 season. The DHL Stormers, the only SA side in the Vodacom URC outside of the top eight on the standings,
Ulster Rugby v Munster Rugby, 19:35pm, Friday The opening game of the weekend sees an Irish interprovincial showdown between two sides looking to bounce back from Champions Cup disappointment. Ulster lost both of their first two European group games against French opposition, going down 61-21 in Toulouse and then 40-19 at home to Bordeaux-Begles, while
