Coach John Plumtree praised his “impact players” after the Sharks’ 42-22 win against Cardiff at the Arms Park on Saturday. The visitors led 28-10 early in the second half when hooker Bongi Mbonambi scored his second try, but Cardiff hit back with two tries to cut the gap to six points with 20 minutes to
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
Bongi Mbonambi scored two tries in the Sharks’ bonus-point win against Cardiff at the Arms Park on Saturday. The visitors bounced back from their Investec Champions Cup hammering in Bordeaux last week with a 42-22 victory that takes them to fourth on the Vodacom URC log. Cardiff, who began the round in third position, drop
Boeta Chamberlain will start at flyhalf for the Vodacom Bulls in the Vodacom URC derby against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday. Chamberlain replaces Johan Goosen, who suffered a knee injury during the first half of last weekend’s Champions Cup win against Stade Francais at Loftus. In other injury-forced changes to the match 23,
Harold Vorster will make his fiftieth Vodacom United Rugby Championship appearance when the Vodacom Bulls battle it out against his former club, the Emirates Lions, for whom he made 76 appearances across two competitions. The hard-hitting centre will reach this tournament milestone during round 10 of the 2024/25 campaign. Vorster notches up 50 VURC caps
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
Vodacom URC head of referees Tappe Henning believes it is necessary for the TMO to check every try after it has been scored. Gone are the days when a five-pointer could be celebrated by players, coaches and fans when awarded by a referee. Now, a TMO check automatically follows and a try can be disallowed
Vodacom Bulls wing Sergeal Petersen says he’s loving life in Pretoria despite limited playing opportunities. Petersen, who burst onto the scene in 2013 as an 18-year-old speed merchant for the Southern Kings, has earned just 12 caps since making his debut for the Bulls in November 2023. The Bulls are well-stocked in the speed department,
South Africa’s push for Vodacom URC playoff berths resumes this week following the conclusion of the European pool-stage campaigns. Both the Lions and Vodacom Bulls go into the Jukskei derby at Ellis Park on Saturday with confidence having claimed convincing European cup wins over the weekend. By trampling Stade Francais 48-7 at Loftus, the BULLS
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,
