The 10bet Lions have been struck by tragedy in France after Hyron Andrews (31) died of a suspected heart attack at the team’s hotel ahead of their debut Champions Cup match against La Rochelle on Saturday. The Johannesburg-based franchise confirmed on Friday afternoon that it had received distressing news from France, where the squad is preparing for their first-ever clash in Europe’s elite club rugby competition. In a statement, the Lions Rugby Company said "they are deeply

Imposing Hollywoodbets Sharks lock Corné Rahl has signed with the DHL Stormers and will join the squad at the end of the current season in July 2027. The powerful 24-year-old hails from the Western Cape town of Montagu and was schooled at Oakdale, where he was one year ahead of his future teammate Paul de Villiers. At 2.03 metres tall and 122 kilograms, Rahl brings physicality and intensity to everything he does on the field. He will add to the depth in the club’s second-row

The Toyota Cheetahs are set to begin their 2026/27 EPCR Challenge Cup campaign against French side Aviron Bayonnais on Sunday at Stade Jean Dauger in Bayonne, France. The opening Pool 1 encounter presents an opportunity for the Cheetahs to build on their European experience and make a positive start to the campaign. The team will look to bring their trademark attacking intent and tempo to the contest. Last season, the Cheetahs recorded one of the fastest average ruck speeds i

All club roads will lead to the Bushveld and Surf City on Saturday as the Pick n Pay Gold Cup reaches the semi-final stage after three weeks of nail-biting action from club venues across the country. The 32-team ‘FA Cup’ of South African community rugby has seen 28 matches played since the Round of 32 kicked off on 26 September. With 28 hopefuls now eliminated – with several matches decided in the dying seconds, or by just a single point, or both – the final four find themsel

The Hollywoodbets Sharks open their 2026/27 EPCR Challenge Cup campaign against Lyon in France this weekend. Nick Hatton captains the side from No 8 and after featuring in last week’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship encounter off the bench, Stephan Lewies makes a welcome return to the starting team, after spending seven years abroad playing at Harlequins, bringing outstanding leadership following four years as their club captain. There is also a welcome return to action for

The Vodacom Bulls have made wholesale changes to their starting XV for this week’s Investec Champions Cup opening round clash against Stade Français, with Handré Pollard returning at flyhalf, Elrigh Louw taking over the captaincy and Under-20 tyro Luan Giliomee earning his first start at fullback. Giliomee’s promotion is one of the standout talking points in a reshuffled Bulls backline, with the youngster handed an opportunity to make his mark at senior level. His selection a

The five South African teams participating in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup competitions will face a fresh challenge this weekend as they switch their focus from the Vodacom United Rugby Championship to the first round of the European showpieces, where all the sides will want to make a strong statement in the tournaments, which feature only four pool rounds. The Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers, and 10bet Lions will run out in the Investec Champions Cup competi

Hollywoodbets Sharks head coach JP Pietersen has selected a 28-man squad that leaves this week for his team’s three overseas matches taking place in France, Wales and Ireland over the next three weekends. With the usual attrition rate associated with a highly competitive tour such as this, there will be reinforcements sent over as the tour goes on, including the Sharks Springboks, who are on mandatory rest after a grueling few months of rugby. Pietersen will select his EPCR C

SA Rugby has thrown its support behind the International Concussion in Sport Group's (CISG) Athlete Brain Health Symposium, which will bring leading international experts in sports medicine, concussion, and athlete mental health welfare to Cape Town on 25 and 26 November 2026. The event comes at a time when athlete brain health is receiving increasing attention around the world and follows the launch last year of the Brain Health Service in South Africa, a joint initiative by

World Rugby has today confirmed the HSBC SVNS 2 schedule, with three events taking place across January and February as the global rugby sevens calendar continues to build towards the LA28 Olympic Games. The announcement follows confirmation of the HSBC SVNS Series and World Championship schedule for 2026/27. HSBC SVNS 2 forms an important part of World Rugby’s global sevens pathway, providing teams with the opportunity to progress through the international competition struct

The 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup gets underway this weekend, with 24 of Europe and South Africa’s leading clubs beginning their quest to lift club rugby’s biggest prize. The Round 1 preview is now available, featuring the full fixture list, pool tables, match officials, and selected club and player performance data. CLICK BELOW FOR ROUND 1 PREVIEW Round 1 notes Round 1 will take place from 16 to 18 October, with the competition featuring the top eight clubs from the 2025/26

With the opening EPCR Challenge Cup fixtures just days away, please find below the Round 1 preview, including fixtures, pools, match officials and selected club and player performance data. CLICK BELOW FOR ROUND 1 PREVIEW Round 1 notes The 2026/27 EPCR Challenge Cup features 18 clubs from eight nations - Ireland, France, South Africa, Wales, England, Scotland, Italy and Georgia - competing across three pools and four pool stage rounds. Round 1 takes place from 16 to 18 Octobe

Anacadia Minnaar and Insaaf Levy will join a settled Springbok Women squad in Stellenbosch on Wednesday when they assemble for their final two Tests of the year, against Ireland in Cape Town on Saturday 24 and 31 October. The two Tests at Athlone Stadium will conclude the 2026 WXV Global Series for the hosts, who just returned from Europe where they played Wales, Italy and Spain on consecutive weekends. Minnaar was a late withdrawal from the trip north, but she returns to the

Evan Roos will make his first appearance of the season for the DHL Stormers in their Investec Champions Cup opener against Bristol Bears at DHL Stadium on Saturday. The Springbok loose forward returns against the English team in a blockbuster encounter, which kicks off at 4.15pm on Saturday. Tickets are available from stormers.co.za. Roos’ return from a hamstring injury is timely, with Hacjivah Dayimani ruled out due to concussion, while the only other changes from the team t

Fiji Rakavi Football Union (FRFU) is proud to announce the appointment of Rugby World Cup-winning coach Jake White as the new head coach of the FIJI Water Flying Fijians, marking a defining moment in the nation’s rugby journey and the beginning of an ambitious new chapter towards Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia. A proven winner on rugby’s biggest stage, White brings international pedigree, championship-winning experience and a deep understanding of what it takes to build a

Eastern Province produced a stellar display of resilience at Otto du Plessis High School in Gqeberha on Saturday, staging a remarkable second-half comeback to defeat Griquas 36-24 and claim the 2026 SA Rugby U21 Shield title. The visitors controlled the opening stanza, racing into a deserved 24-17 half-time lead thanks to sharp execution and clinical finishing. Luke Davids, Grante Savage, Aiden Holtzhausen each scored a converted try, while kicker Blane Marais also slotted a

The final four clubs in the Pick n Pay Gold Cup have been confirmed after an action-packed quarter-final weekend in the ‘FA Cup’ of South African club rugby, which included electric performances on the field in the South section and a literal lightning display off it in the North. The country’s pre-eminent knockout championship for non-university clubs – which is sponsored by the national retail chain for the second time as part of a four-year agreement – is also supported by

The Vodacom Bulls have confirmed their 42-man squad for the upcoming Investec Champions Cup campaign, featuring a formidable contingent of 14 Springboks ready to lead the charge in Europe. Coach Johan Ackermann and his staff faced the classic challenge of balancing depth with elite quality across every position, resulting in a well-balanced group (24 forwards and 18 backs). One of the most fiercely contested areas is flyhalf, where World Cup winner Handre Pollard, Curwin Bosc

Stormers captain Ruhan Nel offloads to Damian Willemse against the Sharks on Saturday. Inpho Photography Edinburgh Rugby are in uncharted waters at the top of the URC having won their opening three league matches for the first time in more than a decade. You have to go back to 2015 and the days of the old PRO12 for the last time the Scottish side kicked off with three successive victories. Moreover, they are the only team in the competition to have won all of their matches so

The Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers delivered dominant performances to outclass the 10bet Lions and Hollywoodbets Sharks in a gripping round of Vodacom United Rugby Championship local derbies on Saturday, which not only ended the latter sides’ two-match winning starts in the competition but also saw them overtake their fellow SA teams on the standings. The Bulls were in sublime form and powered their way to a classy 57-15 victory against the Lions in Pretoria, while the Storme