FNB UFH Baby Blues produced a stunning second-half comeback to edge FNB UWC 24-21 in a thrilling 2026 FNB Varsity Cup Women’s final at Bellville Stadium, overturning a 14-point half-time deficit. After trailing at the break, the Baby Blues responded with renewed intensity, scoring key tries through Litha Tofu, Lilitha Ngwenze and a late match-winner by Siphokuhle Vakele after UWC were reduced to 14 players. The match began with high intensity, as both sides looked to assert e

Riley Norton will lead an exciting Junior Springbok squad for the third edition of SANZAAR’s Under-20 Rugby Championship, which starts on 27 April in Gqeberha. Junior Bok head coach Kevin Foote included four members of the SA U20 squad that won the Junior World Championship in Italy last year, as well as several of the most promising young local rugby talent. Apart from Norton, Siphosethu Mnebelele, Oliver Reid and Vusi Moyo were members of the successful Junior Bok side of l

In an important SA Cup fixture the Toyota Cheetahs travel to George to take on the Dotsure SWD Eagles on Saturday. The action at Outeniqua Park kicks off at 3pm and will be live on SuperSport 950. The Eagles have won four matches and the Cheetahs three so far this season and the sides are placed third and fourth on the log, both firmly in the semi‑final chase. SWD edged a thrilling 43-40 win over the Valke last weekend, while the Cheetahs responded with a 57-10 victory, also

The Springbok Women’s Sevens were outplayed 33-0 by Australia and 31-0 by Canada on the opening day of the Cathay/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong on Friday, with the difference in pace and intensity from SVNS 2 forcing them onto a steep learning curve. They came into the tournament missing several injured regulars and the lack of cohesion was clear, especially on defence, where their alignment often resulted in overlaps for their opponents to exploit. Credit to the SA team though, who ke

The DHL Stormers starting line-up to face Connacht at DHL Stadium on Saturday will feature 10 Springboks. The Vodacom URC encounter with the Irish side kicks off at 1.45pm on Saturday, with the DHL Stormers XXIII in action against the Vodacom Bulls XV directly afterwards. The double-header at DHL Stadium will also see the club and their fans pay tribute to legendary team manager Chippie Solomon, following his sudden passing last week. The Stormers are currently in second posi

The Fidelity SecureDrive Lions will welcome former URC champions Glasgow Warriors to Ellis Park this Saturday as the Race to the Eight heats up in Round 15 of the competition. Kick-off in Johannesburg is at 4pm. Head coach Ivan van Rooyen and his side go into the encounter in confident form, currently enjoying a four‑match winning streak in what has been a stellar run for the men in red. The Lions have also had the upper hand over the Scots in their last two clashes at Ellis

The Springbok Sevens team have it all to do in their final Pool A match against Argentina on Saturday, with victory needed over the defending champions of the Cathay/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong to proceed into the play-off stages of the tournament. A very average display against Spain in their second match resulted in a 31-12 defeat to a team that lost their last six matches against South Africa. Earlier on Friday, the Blitzboks opened their campaign with a close 12-7 win over Urugua

Sanlam Boland Kavaliers head coach Hawies Fourie has made 11 changes and a positional switch to the starting lineup that went down 24-14 against the Suzuki Griquas in Wellington last weekend when the Kavaliers host the Border Bulldogs in Wellington on Saturday in Round Six of the SA Cup. Currently fifth on the SA Cup log after consecutive defeats to the Dotsure SWD Eagles and Griquas, the Kavaliers will be determined to return to winning ways and force their way back into the

DHL Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson (left) with former team manager Chippie Solomon. Inpho Photography The DHL Stormers are looking to complete a historic double as they head into the final lap of the URC campaign. To start with, they are aiming to finish top of the table for the first time since they joined the multi-nation competition back in 2021. They are also hoping to set a new league record for regular season home attendances, surpassing the tally set by Leinste

Vodacom United Rugby Championship rugby returns after a fortnight break, with everything to play for in the final four rounds of the pool stages as the Hollywoodbets Sharks travel to Wales to take on the Ospreys on Saturday evening. “The mood in the camp is really good,” said captain Andre Esterhuizen ahead of the team’s departure to Wales. “We know we’re building something here and we know we basically need to win four out of four games to stand a chance to get into the top

Scarlets centre Joe Roberts. Inpho Photography Joe Roberts readily admits it was hard to be left out of Wales’ Six Nations plans but he has responded in the best possible way. The Scarlets centre is currently his country’s top try scorer in the URC, having touched down seven times, including four in his last three league outings. He will now be hoping to get the chance to add to that tally in Saturday’s derby clash at home to Cardiff Rugby, although he recognises that competi

Ospreys playmaker Jack Walsh. Inpho Photography Jack Walsh arrived at the Ospreys with no great fanfare as a relative unknown. But the USA-born, Aussie-raised utility back has gone on to add his name to the long list of overseas imports who have shone brightly for the region since its inception in 2003. Following in the footsteps of the likes of Jerry Collins, Filo Tiatia, Marty Holah, Tommy Bowe, Justin Marshall and Stefan Terblanche, he has become an integral member of the

Leinster winger Joshua Kenny. Inpho Photography Joshua Kenny is in seventh heaven having emerged as one of the real breakthrough players of this season. The 22-year-old winger only made his Leinster Rugby debut in October but has proved a prolific addition to their ranks, scoring 11 tries in his 12 appearances. Nine of those have come in the URC, making him the league’s joint top try scorer alongside two back row men - the DHL Stormers’ Evan Roos and Connacht Rugby’s Sean Jan

Dragons flyhalf Tinus de Beer. Inpho Photography For Tinus de Beer, this weekend’s URC clash with the Vodacom Bulls will be a fixture with real added resonance. It was with the South African province that the Dragons RFC flyhalf began his rugby journey in his home city of Pretoria more than a decade ago. Now he is set to face them at Rodney Parade on Friday night. There’s also the fact that he was linked with a potential move back to the Bulls earlier this season. But he has

The Vodacom Bulls have chosen a largely familiar looking side for their VURC encounter against the Dragons on Friday, building from the team that took on Glasgow while making a handful of considered adjustments that speak to rotation and balance rather than any shift in identity. The core of the side remains intact, with continuity in the front row and loose trio providing a stable platform up front. Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar and Francois Klopper again anchor the s

They arrived in Hong Kong as the 11th-ranked team out of 12, had some misfortunes on the injury front and four players who will experience the intensity of the world stage for the first time but if you asked Ayanda Malinga, you write off the Springbok Women’s Sevens at your own peril. The hard-running wing, who has scored 14 tries in eight tournaments at this level, said the absence of regular captain, Nadine Roos, and experienced players like Liske Lategan and Simamkele Namb

Getting it right five times out of six was a good reflection of the standards the Springbok Sevens set for themselves in 2026 but the most valuable lesson was to make sure you start from zero every time. With that in mind, the Blitzboks will tackle the Cathay/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong tournament this weekend with the baseline of setting their own standards and playing accordingly. That is the view of Philip Snyman, who made it all happen for the Blitzboks in recent seasons, as the

The SA Cup is moving closer to its defining moment in the competition, with log positions beginning to clarify and every result carrying increased significance in the race for semi-final places and crucially for some, Carling Currie Cup Premier Division qualification. The sixth round kicks off with a Friday night opener in Nelspruit setting the tone before a full slate of Saturday fixtures spread across Wellington, Welkom, George and Gqeberha. The Airlink Pumas welcome the Le

The pressure on the four South African franchises in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship will reach fever pitch this weekend as they channel all their energy into qualifying for quarter-final spots and the best possible log positions for favourable play-off places in the fourth-last pool round of the competition. The Vodacom Bulls will meet the Dragons in Wales on Friday, while three matches will play out on Saturday, when the DHL Stormers host Connacht in Cape Town, the Fi

The start of their journeys to make their Springbok Women’s Sevens debuts, at the HSBC SVNS World Championship, could not have been more different but for Owami Mohuli and Jane Mulder, their destination was the same – the Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong. Mohuli (19) and Mulder (20) will hold no fear or favour in Hong Kong on Friday, shared by a firm desire to deliver their best effort, knowing that a sound performance for their country could ease the way for their age-group