The United Rugby Championship (URC) has announced the return of its Women’s Leadership Academy (WLA) for 2026 - a global initiative supported by CVC that continues to redefine access and opportunity for women pursuing careers across the sports industry. Launched to challenge the stark reality that 92% of women face barriers when entering the sports industry and 8 in 10 seek access to mentoring and career development opportunities, the URC Women’s Leadership Academy has become

ITALY v SOUTH AFRICA – ALLIANZ STADIUM, TURIN – KO 2.40pm (SAST) Referee James Doleman (New Zealand) Test debut: 13 July, 2021 – Australia 26-28 France Tests as referee: 16 James Doleman will referee this fixture for the first time. This will be the second time he takes charge of a fixture in Italy, having been in the middle for the Azzurri’s 37-16 loss to Argentina in Treviso in November 2021. Italy are yet to win with Doleman in the middle, having also lost 31-14 to Englan

Dynamic loose forward Paul de Villiers has signed a contract extension that will keep him in Cape Town until at least 2029. The 22-year-old former Junior Springbok captain has been a revelation at openside flank this year, stepping up in the absence of injured World Cup winner Deon Fourie. A player with an incredibly high work-rate, De Villiers has proven himself a menace both at the breakdown and with the ball in hand. Having led DHL Western Province U21 to their second cons

The journey to redemption for the Springbok Women's Sevens team starts at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi on Saturday and Sunday at the 2025 Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Cup and for team captain, Nadine Roos, the options are simple. “We have to play well and as a team and make sure we play to the best of our abilities,” Roos said from Kenya on Friday, as the team did their final warm-up run before Saturday’s Pool A matches against Mauritius and Zimbabwe in the 12-team tournament.

Springbok Women head coach Swys de Bruin and his coaching assistants invited a group of 42 players to a weeklong alignment camp in the Western Cape, with the players arriving at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport on Sunday. The group consist of 21 players that represented South Africa at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England in September, while several who excelled at the U20 Women’s Week in Johannesburg last month, have been invited to the camp. Amongst them are Anja le Roux

Springbok Sevens flyer Shilton van Wyk has experienced a lot in his HSBC SVNS career, including many highs and also inevitable lows but he is determined to chase perfection in the forthcoming world series season. The 25-year-old made his Blitzbok debut in 2022 and lifted tournament trophies six times out of 27 tournaments. The most memorable of those was in Cape Town last year, when South Africa broke a nine-year dry spell in their own backyard and for the West Coast native,

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on Thursday named a new-look starting team for the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour Test against Italy at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Saturday afternoon, which will again be led by inspirational captain Siya Kolisi, with the Bok coach making 11 changes to his run-on side and one on the replacements bench from last week’s 32-17 victory against France. The players who retained their places in the starting team are Boan Venter (prop), Kolisi (flanker

The Vodacom Bulls have made a powerful statement about their long-term vision, announcing a slew of significant contract extensions for eight of their most promising young talents. The move is a major vote of confidence in the franchise's development system and its intent to lock in a new generation of players who have all impressed strongly in recent Vodacom United Rugby Championship and Carling Currie Cup campaigns. The extensions see the young stars commit to the Pretoria-

It’s hardly a coincidence that when the Vodacom United Rugby Championship returns after a break of just over a month, it does so with a proper South African derby. If there’s one thing South African rugby players love more than winning Rugby World Cups, then it’s beating the living biltong out of each other in their derbies. So on Saturday 29 November, Loftus Versfeld will usher in South African Derby Season with the clash between the Vodacom Bulls and the Lions in what the h

Junior Springbok head coach Kevin Foote has made wholesale rotational changes to the SA Under-19 Academy matchday squad for Friday’s clash with Ireland U19 in Cork. The match – the SA U19s’ final encounter of their two-week European tour – will kick off 7.30pm (9.30pm SAST) at Virgin Media Park, the Cork home of Irish giants Munster, with a capacity of 8 000 and an artificial 3G pitch. In an effort to give every player in the tour squad game time, Foote has made four changes

A daunting challenge awaits the Springbok Women’s Sevens team in the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Cup in Kenya this weekend but upon their departure to Nairobi on Wednesday, coach Cecil Afrika was at ease due to the mood and mindset of the departing squad. Captain Nadine Roos will be flanked by a number of senior players but for Afrika, it is not only the abilities of the players that will make the trip, but their desire to remain undefeated at this tournament that provides th

Siposethu Mnebelele is one of the leaders in the SA Under-19 Academy squad currently touring in Europe and as a member of the SA U20’s world championship winning side, the strong hooker is playing a pivotal role in helping this future generation of Junior Boks settle into the team environment. The SA U19s will wrap up their two-week trip to France and Ireland on Friday evening when they play against Ireland U19 at Virgin Media Park in Cork. The game will kick off at 7.30pm lo

Two of the Vodacom Bulls’ most promising players, Springboks Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Cameron Hanekom, have extended their contracts with the Pretoria franchise. Having begun their professional careers aged 18 at the Bulls, both have signed on until the end of the 2028 season, ensuring the Bulls’ reputation as a scrum powerhouse. Hanekom was a popular Springbok debutant last November, his progress stymied only by a hamstring injury that is progressing well in recovery. He is b

Springbok speedster Edwill van der Merwe is ready to grab any opportunity he receives in the green and gold jersey as Bok coach Rassie Erasmus prepares to announce his team on Thursday for Saturday’s Castle Lager Outgoing Tour Test against Italy in Turin. The match kicks off at 2.40pm (SAST) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport’s Grandstand and Rugby channels. Van der Merwe, who has scored five tries in his four Test matches so far faces tough competition at wing, with th

Springbok utility backs Damian Willemse and Ethan Hooker said they were mentally preparing for a gruelling Test against Italy at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Saturday and had no doubt that the hosts’ victory over Australia last weekend would psyche them up even more going into the match. The third Test in the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour kicks off at 2.40pm (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport’s Grandstand and Rugby channels. “Italy has really built their team

Springbok assistant coach Tony Brown stressed on Monday that the Boks would not underestimate Italy this week as the teams prepare to line up at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Saturday, adding that the Azzurri’s 26-19 victory against Australia last weekend rubberstamped the improvement they have been making as a team. The Boks extended their lead on the world rankings over New Zealand on the weekend and despite 10th-placed Italy on Saturday, Brown and Springbok loose forward

She made her debut for her country at the Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Cup tournament in Ghana last year and scored a try on debut but that was just the beginning of the season’s highlights for Springbok Women’s Sevens forward, Leigh Fortuin. The 21-year-old year old utility player, who captained the Junior Springbok Women from the inside centre position earlier in the 2024 season, enjoyed scoring that try in Accra and will always remember it but the next chapter for her caree

The South African Under-19 Academy squad arrived in Ireland on Sunday evening, determined to finish their two-match European tour on a high note against Ireland U19 on Friday. The SA U19s are looking to bounce back from a hard-fought 20-12 loss to France U19 in Chateauroux on Saturday. Following the physically demanding match in France, the SA U19 touring party encountered travel delays on their journey from Paris to Dublin on Sunday, while some luggage items were left behind

Wilco Louw was still buzzing on Sunday from the team’s 32-17 victory against France at Stade de France in the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour but the big Springbok prop immediately turned his attention to Saturday’s clash against Italy in Turin, saying it would be another big battle. The Boks faced Italy twice during the Castle Lager Incoming Series in South Africa in July and won both matches (42-24 and 45-0) but he expected the team to face a charged-up Italian outfit at home, e

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus and captain Siya Kolisi thanked the South African fans for their passionate support, as well as the coaching staff for the plans they made and the team for their gutsy effort as they both celebrated significant career milestones with a victory against France in Paris on Saturday night. The Boks, playing the entire second half with only 14 players, had to dig deep and scored three tries in the final 20 minutes to beat their hosts by 32-17 at the