Two World Cup-winning Springboks were among a strong South African contingent awarded with places in the best XV of the third round of the Investec Champions Cup. The Stormers beat Sale Sharks in Cape Town for their first win in the competition this season, but it was a case of bitter disappointment for the Sharks
Bath head coach Johann van Graan has hailed the “heart and soul” coaching qualities of Leinster defence guru Jacques Nienaber as the two South African coaches prepare to go head-to-head in the Investec Champions Cup this week. In Dublin on Saturday, Van Graan’s English Premiership log leaders will come up against Jacques Nienaber’s Leinster, four-time
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi says he wouldn’t make it to the 2027 World Cup had he kept on playing his club rugby in France. Kolisi joined Racing 92 after the 2023 World Cup having told the French club that he would not play Test rugby again. However, he soon changed his mind and was back
Local teams must bolster their squads with seasoned South African players to win the Investec Champions Cup within the next three to five years, writes MARK KEOHANE. Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane highlights the need for a balance of youth, experience and proven Test players to compete with European giants such as Toulouse, Leinster and La
The Vodacom Bulls power through Stade Francais at Loftus in the Investec Champions Cup while the Lions cruise past the Dragons in the EPCR Challenge Cup, according to the SARugbymag.co.za team. Champions Cup:Bulls vs Stade Francais (Saturday, 3pm, Pretoria)Juandre Joubert: Bulls by 21Devin Hermanus: Bulls by 12Simon Borchardt: Bulls by 25Zelím Nel: Bulls by 4Dylan Johnson:
One of South African rugby’s most successful backline exports could reportedly be forced into retirement due to injury. According to French outlet L’Equipe, Springbok winger Raymond Rhule is on the verge of retiring from professional rugby due to ongoing struggles with an Achilles injury. A two-time Investec Champions Cup winner with La Rochelle, Rhule ruptured
Ruan Nortje is eager to pick up where he left off in 2024, as the Springbok and Vodacom Bulls lock gears up to make his comeback from a two-month injury lay-off this week. Nortje, who has been sidelined since November with a serious hamstring injury that ruled him out of the Boks’ end-of-year tour, is
Former England captain Owen Farrell will make his comeback from injury for Racing 92 against the Stormers in Paris on Saturday, according to coach Stuart Lancaster. “He trained well today. He’s confident of being able to start the game,” Lancaster said of the veteran flyhalf on Thursday. “He’ll maybe not play the full 80 minutes,
Rassie Erasmus’ two-time World Cup-winning replacements strategy with the Springboks faces an uncertain future as key front-row players show signs of decline. Writing for RugbyPass, author and rugby analyst Nick Bishop traces the Boks’ scrummaging heritage back to Paul Roos’ 1906 “Skrum” mantra, linking it to Erasmus’ modern 6-2 bench split innovation. Bishop points to
Stedman Gans says the Vodacom Bulls must stick together to recapture their form against Stade Francais in Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup clash at Loftus Versfeld. The Bulls, on the back of four consecutive defeats across all competitions, are aiming to secure a spot in the Challenge Cup with a convincing victory this week. For Gans,
Luke Pearce has weighed in on former colleague Chris Busby’s decision to quit professional refereeing following criticism by Ireland and Connacht winger Mack Hansen. Busby’s final match was the clash between Bath and Clermont in the Investec Champions Cup on Sunday. The Irishman reportedly cited personal reasons as the main factor behind his decision, but
Zain Davids will earn his 50th tournament cap in Australia next week, after the 27-year-old was named in the Blitzboks squad for the third leg of the 2024-25 season. Head coach Philip Snyman – himself a member of an illustrious group of players with 50 or more series tournaments – named the durable forward in
