The Vodacom Bulls have solidified the core of their future roster, confirming long-term contract extensions for Springbok flanker Marco van Staden and explosive loose forward Mpilo Gumede. The dual signings represent a significant move in the franchise’s multi-year recruitment and retention strategy. Van Staden has committed to the club until June 2028, while Gumede has signed a five-year deal that keeps him at Loftus Versfeld until June 2029. Both players are central to the

David Brits is keen to see if the hype around the Cathay Pacific/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong as being the best in the world, is true as in his opinion, nothing beats the South African leg of the world series, but he is going into the week with an open mind, the Blitzbok forward said with a huge smile on Monday. The decorated 28-year-old is on his first visit to Hong Kong and he plans to make the best of this opportunity, with the long-anticipated tournament victory also on “to do lis

The Toyota Cheetahs have announced the signing of double Rugby World Cup winner and veteran Springbok scrumhalf, Faf de Klerk (34) from Yokohama Canon Eagles in Japan. De Klerk has committed to a two-year deal that will see him make Bloemfontein his home from June 2026. His arrival marks one of the most significant signings in the franchise's history, bringing a wealth of international experience and a winning pedigree to the Free State. "We are beyond excited to welcome Faf

It was another profitable weekend for the Suzuki Griquas, Airlink Pumas, Dotsure SWD Eagles and Toyota Cheetahs in the SA Cup, while there was also a first win for Eastern Province in the fifth round. Griquas bagged their fifth victory courtesy of a 24-14 away win over Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in Wellington, the Eagles followed up their recent win over the Kavaliers with a narrow 43-40 win on the road against Valke and the Pumas outgunned Border 94-5 in East London. In the Fre

Two familiar Springbok Women’s Sevens players have been recalled to the squad for the first HSBC SVNS World Championship tournament, to be played in Hong Kong next weekend. Zintle Mpupha and Eloise Webb, who played for the Isuzu Bulls Daisies and Sanlam Boland Dames in last weekend’s Pick n Pay Women’s Super League 1 final in Pretoria, return to the shorter version of the game as SA coach Cecil Afrika named his squad for the trip to the Far East. Mpupha played for the nationa

The SA Cup log leaders, Suzuki Griquas, were made to work hard by the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers for their 24-14 victory at the Boland Rugby Stadium in Wellington on Saturday. Three tries from Gurswin Wehr, Tiaan Lange and Dylan Maart meant the visitors headed into the half-time break with a comfortable 19-7 lead. Unforced errors and two yellow cards meant the Kavaliers allowed Griquas to maintain their lead on the scoreboard. The visitors came out firing on all cylinders, scori

Stormers Rugby and the wider rugby community of the Western Cape has been shocked and saddened by the news of the passing of DHL Stormers Team Manager Christopher ‘Chippie’ Solomon. A respected educator and administrator, a loving father and husband and a revered rugby man, Solomon will be missed by countless players, coaches, learners and staff whose lives he impacted over a full and significant career. Husband to Pearl and father to Nina and Chad, Solomon also acted as a fa

The Wits Rugby Stadium was packed to the rafters, the rugby on show was entertaining and the spectators in attendance were given value for their money when FNB Wits hosted FNB WSU in this year’s final in Johannesburg on Friday. The Wits Blues went into the match as favourites and they lived up to those expectations, beating their counterparts 44-18. Wits had already secured automatic promotion to the Varsity Cup before the final, while WSU finished in second place on the log.

A vitally important clash awaits the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in Round Five of the 2026 SA Cup. The Wellington side welcomes the log leaders, the Suzuki Griquas, to Boland Rugby Stadium on Saturday (3pm). The Boland side suffered their first loss of the season in George against a revitalised SWD Eagles side their last time out before the Easter break. Head coach Hawies Fourie, however, will be buoyed by the timely return of two stalwarts to the match-day 23 squad. Versatile ba

The SA Cup resumes this weekend following the Easter break, with Round 5 marking a pivotal stage in the competition as the race for the four semi-final spots and qualification for the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division intensifies. The Toyota Cheetahs travel to Welkom to face the Griffons in a crucial encounter on Saturday. Kick-off at Down Touch Investments Stadium is scheduled for 3pm, with the match broadcast live on SuperSport 199. With the competition moving beyond the

Springbok Women head coach Swys de Bruin has invited 10 uncapped players to the team’s first alignment camp of 2026, with 34 players set to congregate in Stellenbosch from 12-24 April. The Springbok Women will play in the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup at the end of May before hosting the USA in two Tests in July and New Zealand’s Black Ferns in September. Fourteen Tests are planned for the year but for De Bruin, the focus is to get the new players aligned with the established ones

It might be his first official appearance on the world stage in the 2026 season but for Springbok Sevens speedster Quewin Nortje, their Stellenbosch training fields are battle grounds of their own and he will be ready come the Cathay Pacific/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong next weekend. The Blitzboks face Uruguay, Spain and Argentina in Pool A of the first of three HSBC SVNS World Championship events, to be held at Kai Tak Sports Park. “The competitive excellence we are striving for is n

The Junior Springboks took another significant step toward the Under-20 Rugby Championship on Thursday, engaging in a high-intensity training match against the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in hot and humid conditions in Wellington. The insights gained from facing seasoned provincial opposition are proving invaluable for a squad currently blending experience with fresh talent. Following the session at Boland Stadium, Junior Bok assistant coach Lumumba Currie reflected on the progre

The Vodacom Bulls can confirm that lock forward Ruan Nortje has accepted an offer to join an overseas club in Japan at the conclusion of the current season, bringing to a close an extraordinary chapter in his career at Loftus Versfeld. A Bulls man through and through, the 27-year-old Nortje has only ever worn the blue jersey at senior level. Having grown up playing his school rugby locally, Loftus Versfeld became his professional rugby home when he made his senior debut for t

AB de Villiers and Fourie du Preez lead star-studded cast as the second Annual Legends Match celebrates 40 years of SuperSport Park this Sunday. Centurion’s beloved SuperSport Park will come alive this Sunday when the Legends Match returns, bringing together some of South African cricket and sport’s most celebrated names for an afternoon of nostalgia, entertainment and competitive spirit. The Titans Legends and Blue Bulls Legends once again step back to the crease at one of t

South African rugby is showing encouraging early outcomes following the introduction of the lowered tackle-height laws, with initial data indicating a positive shift in reducing the severity and long-term impact of tackle-related catastrophic head, neck and spine injuries, SA Rugby announced on Thursday. These laws, applied in South African rugby, are supported by 17 years of tackle-event data on serious and catastrophic injuries. Clint Readhead, SA Rugby’s General Manager: M

The SA Cup resumes this weekend following the Easter break, with the fifth round marking a significant point in the competition as the race for the four semi-final places and qualification to the Carling Currie Cup Premier Division gathers further momentum. The match in Wellington between fourth-placed Sanlam Boland Kavaliers and log leaders Suzuki Griquas top the billing for this weekend. The hosts will be eager to make amends for their away loss to the Dotsure SWD Eagles, w

Northampton Saints Director of Rugby Phil Dowson. Sale Sharks’ Alex Sanderson and Northampton Saints’ Phil Dowson discuss juggling player selection plans and the highs and lows of knockout rugby. The tournament’s playmakers and try-scorers may grab the headlines on the field but behind the curtain is often a season-long tactical mastermind. The Investec Champions Cup’s head coaches must balance squad rotations amidst international selections, domestic demands and unpredictabl

DHL Stormers lock Salmaan Moerat will leave Cape Town at the end of the current season to take up an opportunity in France. A proud product of the Western Cape, Moerat came through the system as captain of Paarl Boys High and the DHL Western Province U18 side at the 2016 Craven Week. He would go on to lead the Junior Springboks and in 2018 made his Stormers debut against the Highlanders in Dunedin. He has earned 70 Stormers caps since then and captained the team in their hist

Quewin Nortje will make a first appearance for the Springbok Sevens team in the 2026 season next weekend after being named in the squad to travel east to Hong Kong for the first of the three HSBC SVNS World Championship tournaments. The 23-year-old flyer had a frustrating time with injuries this season and missed all six regular stops of the HSBC SVNS Series but is now fit and ready and will be an important cog in the Blitzboks attack at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC SVNS Hong Kong