Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and his SA ‘A’ counterpart Vincent Tshituka braced themselves for challenging encounters as the international seasons kicks off on Saturday with a thrilling double-header at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, saying both teams will bring a fighting spirit. The SA ‘A’ team will take the field against Zimbabwe at 12pm, followed by the Springboks’ clash against the Barbarians at 3pm, with both matches being broadcast live on SuperSport. Kol

The Vodacom Bulls will return to Dublin for a second successive Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final against Leinster after the two teams won their respective semi-finals in an enthralling weekend of rugby. The men from Pretoria secured their spot in the Grand Final of the cross-hemisphere spectacle for the third season in a row – and fourth in five attempts – two weeks ago when they edged the Glasgow Warriors 22-21 in Scotland. No team has appeared in more URC Grand

Emmanuel Tshituka, who will mark the special occasion of playing his first game in a green and gold jersey for the SA ‘A’ team this weekend alongside his brother, Springbok Vincent Tshituka, is embracing every moment of his time with the senior national squad and admitted that being part of the group was an experience he never thought would be possible. The Congolese-born brothers received their South African IDs last year, which cleared them for national selection and almost

The countdown to the 2026 Pick n Pay Gold Cup has begun in earnest, with just 100 days to go to kick-off of the hugely popular ‘FA Cup’ of South African community rugby. This year’s tournament celebrates a special milestone: it will be the 10th time that club players from across the country will compete for the priceless, 97-year-old nine-carat Gold Cup trophy, following the decision in 2013 to repurpose the old national club championship, which historically had included univ

Ruan Nortjé. Johan Rynners/Vodacom Bulls Ruan Nortjé’s remarkable journey with the Vodacom Bulls draws to a close this Friday in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final against Leinster, where this humble hard man of the game hopes he can help give this union a trophy as a sign of his own gratitude for what they’ve done for him. “For me, and I think all of us in this team, it would be really special to win the trophy for the people of Pretoria. We know we are up aga

The Carling Currie Cup First Division moves into its second round this weekend with three matches that should offer an early indication of which teams are ready to build momentum in a short but demanding competition. The second round starts with an Eastern Cape derby on Friday afternoon, when the Border Bulldogs host Eastern Province from 3pm at Police Park in East London. Both sides are chasing their first win after a difficult opening round, which should add and edge to the

The Springboks and SA ‘A’ teams’ matches against the Barbarians and Zimbabwe in Gqeberha on Saturday signal the start of the international season in South Africa, and Andre Esterhuizen and Luan Giliomee can’t wait to get going. The two versatile players are at different times in their careers but they told the media on Wednesday, after the teams wrapped up their main preparations for the week in Johannesburg, they are very excited about the challenges that await them at the N

A stellar cast of World Cup winners, British & Irish Lions have been named in the Leinster and Vodacom Bulls teams that will make Friday’s United Rugby Championship Grand Final a Test match in club colours. A total of 36 international players will line out between the two match-day squads which includes 14 Ireland and Lions stars and five World Cup winners. Tickets for all levels of fan experience are available on www.ticketmaster.ie ahead of Friday night’s game which kicks o

Former All Black scrumhalf TJ Perenara will captain a star-studded Barbarian FC side to take on the Springboks in the YesPlay Cup on Saturday, with kick-off at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium scheduled for 3pm, when two former Junior Boks from Outeniqua High School in George, Duhan van der Merwe and Warrick Gelant, will reunite in the back-three. The 89-cap All Black is one of 19 internationals from 11 different nations coming together for the Gqeberha clash against the Boks.

The 2026 Super Rugby Pacific Awards have been announced with Chiefs centre Quinn Tupaea crowned Player of the Year and NSW Waratahs young gun Sid Harvey claiming the competition's inaugural Rookie of the Year title. Remarkably, Tupaea and Highlanders centre Timoci Tavatavanawai finished level on Player of the Year votes after Round 16, with the Chiefs star holding on to claim the honour via the tiebreaker of receiving more 'three votes' from the independent media panel across

The Nations Championship Trophy, the prize that the 12 strongest teams in international rugby will compete to win, has been revealed for the first time. Standing 67cm tall and weighing 15kg, the Trophy will become the ultimate prize in the Nations Championship, awarded to the team that emerges as the dominant force in international rugby. More than silverware, it is the symbol of a new era for the sport; a tournament built by the game, for the game, its players and its fans,

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and SA ‘A’ coach Mzwandile Stick named quality teams for their opening matches of the season against the Barbarians and Zimbabwe on Saturday in Gqeberha, with the teams being led by Siya Kolisi and Vincent Tshituka. The SA ‘A’ team will take the field against Zimbabwe at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium at 12pm on Saturday, which will be followed by the clash between the Springboks and Barbarians at 3pm. Both matches will be broadcast live on Supe

After 18 Rounds of the regular season and play-offs complete, two teams have come out on top in the battle to be crowned URC Champions. On Grand Final Friday the Vodacom Bulls make the trip to Dublin to face defending URC Champions Leinster Rugby in a rematch of last year’s Grand Final. Click Below For Match Previews Andrea Piardi will take charge of the United Rugby Championship Grand Final for a remarkable fourth consecutive year, underlining his standing as one of the game

The excitement for the week ahead with the Springboks facing the Barbarians and the SA ‘A’ team taking on Zimbabwe was palpable in the national camp on Monday as Bok assistant coach Deon Davids and loose forward Paul de Villiers addressed the media at their first media conference of the week in Johannesburg, and both said they are looking forward to the challenge ahead. Davids, who will double up as the Springbok and SA ‘A’ team assistant coach, said their preparations were w

The pool draws for the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup tournaments will be staged at the Premier Sports studios in Dublin on Wednesday 1 July. Both draws will be streamed live on epcrugby.com and the event, which will be co-presented by Elma Smit and Benjamin Boyet (beIN SPORTS), will start at 12.30pm (UK and Irish time)/1.30pm (French and South African time). Investec Champions Cup pool draw The 24 Investec Champions Cup clubs which have qualified on me

The Springbok Women will host Ireland in a historic first Test series between the two countries on consecutive weekends in Cape Town in October as part of the WXV Global Series that was announced at the end of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. SA Rugby confirmed the two Tests will take place at Athlone Stadium on 24 and 31 October, with 3pm kick-off times perfect for late spring afternoon rugby. The two teams only ever met once before – 20 years ago – on 8 September 2006 in E

A new champion of Super Rugby Pacific will be crowned in 2026 with the Hurricanes and Chiefs to contest the Grand Final in Wellington on Saturday. The title defence of the Crusaders ended in Hamilton on Friday night, where the Chiefs ran away for a 49-12 semi-final victory at FMG Stadium Waikato. The Hurricanes then secured hosting rights for the decider earlier tonight with a dominant 57-21 semi-final triumph over the Blues at Hnry Stadium. The Hurricanes, who led the compet

The Valke, DotSure SWD Eagles and Griffons made winning starts to their 2026 Carling Currie Cup First Division campaigns on Saturday, as the competition kicked off with 35 tries – and a penalty try – scored in the three matches. The defending champions from Welkom overpowered the Border Bulldogs by 52-19 in East London; the Valke, runners up last year, scored a convincing 49-28 win over Eastern Province in Kempton Park; and the Eagles came from behind to edge the Leopards 44-

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was content with the foundation laid in the Boks’ first week of training as his charges wrapped up their on-field preparations with their final training session in Johannesburg on Friday. The players will return home to spend time with their families over the weekend and reassemble in Johannesburg on Sunday night to continue their preparations for the clashes between the Springboks and the Barbarians, and the SA ‘A’ team against Zimbabwe at the

The Toyota Cheetahs will take on Black Lion on Sunday in the final match of the South African round of the 2026 Toyota Challenge at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein. Gates open at 11am, with a full day of international rugby on offer. The action gets underway at 12pm when the Suzuki Griquas face Cartrack Lusitanos, followed by Airlink Pumas against Romania A at 2pm. The Cheetahs and Black Lion will then close out the tournament (4.30pm). All matches will be live on SuperSport.