South African Teams Break New Ground in Europe

The road to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium begins Dec. 8 and a potential preview of the 2024 Investec Champions Cup Final, and a reminder of the last two, is on Dec. 10. La Rochelle Rugby, the powerhouse of the Top 14 leagu e and defending back-to-back champion, faces Leinster Rugby, the powerhouse of the United Rugby Championship and back-to-back…

Seán O'Brien & Sione Tuipulotu © Getty Images Defending Vodacom United Rugby Championship champions Munster gave a strong statement in terms of defending their title while fellow Irish side Leinster snatched a win at the death against Connacht that would have given gasps of relief, if not concerns, ahead of a massive opening Investec Champions Cup…

The Vodacom Bulls hope to return to the United Rugby Championship knockout stage after finishing sixth in the standings last season. The Bulls went 10-0-8 to qualify for the quarterfinals in their second season playing in the URC. The Bulls, one of a handful of South African clubs competing among the European clubs, entered the URC in 2021 after…

Four years ago Andre Esterhuizen just missed out on World Cup selection, but his consistently impressive performances over the last 18 months have booked him a deserved spot in the Springboks' 33-man squad. Esterhuizen has added real competition at inside centre, and below we highlight some key information about the 29-year-old in our ongoing…

Munster Rugby's Jean Kleyn, who will make his Springboks debut this Saturday MUNSTER Rugby second-row Jean Kleyn will make his Springbok Test debut in their opening Rugby Championship clash against Australia at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. South African-born Kleyn made five appearances for Ireland, after qualifying on residency in 2019, including…

The experienced Duane Vermeulen will captain the Springboks for the third time in their Rugby Championship opener against Australia on Saturday. Vermeulen will lead a team full of experienced players and newcomers, with former Ireland international lock Jean Kleyn making his debut. Stormers flyhalf Manie Libbok and loose forward Marco van Staden…

Vermeulen to lead Boks as Kleyn earns SA debut against Australia Experienced No 8 Duane Vermeulen will lead the Springboks for the third time in their opening Castle Lager Rugby Championship clash against Australia at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday. Vermeulen leads a team featuring a core of Rugby World Cup winners and talented newcomers - who have…

The Airlink Pumas will defend their Currie Cup Premier Division crown against the Toyota Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday after the teams from Mpumalanga and the Free State won their respective semi-finals this weekend. The Toyota Cheetahs beat the Vodacom Bulls by 39-10 on Saturday to secure home advantage for the season decider, while the…

Munster lock Jean Kleyn could be set to feature for South Africa in the World Cup despite the 29-year-old having played five Tests for Ireland and featuring at the 2019 World Cup. Kleyn's fine form had seen him linked with a return to the Ireland squad ahead of this year's addition but now the Springboks have invited him to join their training…

South African-born Ireland international Jean Kleyn is one of a host of overseas-based players called up by Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber in preparation for the Rugby Championship. On Saturday, Nienaber named a training squad of 40 players for their next assignment, a three-week training camp in Pretoria from Sunday until Thursday, 29 June. The…

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber named a Castle Lager Rugby Championship training squad of 40 players - which features a handful of overseas based players - for their next assignment, a three-week training camp in Pretoria from Sunday until Thursday, 29 June. The additional players that will assemble in the capital are Cheslin Kolbe (wing), Andre…

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber announced a squad of 33 players for their second preparation camp in Durban. The squad includes 10 players who featured in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final in Cape Town and a host of overseas-based players. The squad is more than double the size of the training squad that participated in the first…

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber had the luxury of naming a group of 33 players for their second preparation camp in Durban from Monday to Wednesday, which included 10 players who featured in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final in Cape Town on Saturday evening, and a host of overseas-based players. The squad is more than double the…

The DHL Stormers, Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls will have everything to play for on Saturday in a tough round of Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarter-finals - their biggest challenge of the season so far. Defending champions, the DHL Stormers, will host the Vodacom Bulls in an all-South African quarter-final and a repeat of last year's Grand…

The South African teams will face a big task this weekend as the Heineken Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup reaches the business end in the opening playoff rounds, where all five domestic franchises will look to book places in the quarter-finals. Three teams will be in action in the Heineken Champions Cup with the Cell C Sharks hosting…

A group of 41 players will attend this year's SA Rugby Academy programme, which will also kick-start the Junior Springboks' preparations for the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in South Africa later this year. While a total of 37 players will be in camp on a full-time basis, the four others will join them intermittently during the assembly period…

EPCR Challenge Cup winner Rey Lee-Lo will make his 150th appearance for Cardiff Rugby as they host Ulster Rugby in the United Rugby Championship (URC) on Saturday. The Samoan centre has featured 35 times in the EPCR Challenge Cup for Cardiff, lifting the trophy in 2018. Lee-Lo will be looking to help Cardiff take another step towards what would be…

It feels like it has been a "beware of the underdog" buildup week to the 15 round of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, particularly but not only in South Africa. Locally the final league derbies of the season see the DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls clearly defined as favourites as they host the Cell C Sharks and the Emirates Lions in a South…

After the edge of the times tempestuous derby weekend that has left the DHL Stormers sitting pretty on several fronts the rivalries will be put aside this week as the two Pretoria protagonists get squarely behind the Cell C Sharks and the Emirates Lions. The Stormers were the big winners at the weekend as they effectively clinched the South African…

Joel Stransky is confident of victory for all four South African teams in this week's round of Vodacom United Rugby Championship matches against Welsh opposition. The man who landed the decisive drop goal for the Springboks in the 1995 World Cup final against New Zealand was on commentary duty for SuperSport as Cardiff pulled off a remarkable 35-0…

Former Junior Springbok backs Manie Libbok and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu earned their first Springbok call-ups on Friday, while there was a recall for Jason Jenkins, who is back in the national set-up four years after making his Test debut, as head coach Jacques Nienaber named his 35-man squad for the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour. South Africa'A'…

RASSIE ERASMUS has cast doubt on Munster star RG Snyman's ability to get back fit for the World Cup. he director of rugby as South Africa Rugby said that the brilliant lock's injury profile is a major concern. Snyman has suffered a succession of serious knee injuries since joining Munster and has yet to play this season after suffering another…

South Africa'A' coach Mzwandile Stick, meanwhile, included nine capped Springboks in a 19-man squad that will travel to Ireland next week Saturday for their two-match tour against Munster and the Bristol Bears, where they will be joined by seven players from Nienaber's squad following the Springboks' opening Test against the top-ranked team in the…