Sports

The Vodacom Bulls welcome back a key Springbok for Saturday’s URC match against the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld. Canan Moodie, who featured in last week’s warm-up game against Boland after recovering from a concussion suffered against the Stormers in early January, will start in midfield alongside Harold Vorster. They will be up against Springbok André Esterhuizen […]

Bob Skinstad has hit back at Eddie Jones after the former England coach compared Henry Pollock to him and questioned their ability to handle the 80-minute “grind”. Jones made the remarks on the Rugby Unity podcast in the wake of England’s 42-21 Six Nations defeat to Ireland at Twickenham. “Pollock to me is like, if

Former SA U18 loose forward Josh Neill opens up on his move to Ireland and Test ambitions. “I have made my commitment towards Ireland and Leinster and that is where I want to be.” Josh Neill opens up about his rugby journey, joining the Leinster Academy, and his ambitions with Ireland U20.#U20SixNation #VMSport | @stuart__mcavoy

The Sharks are excited by the attacking weapon they have in Jurenzo Julius. The ‘Boogieman’ was impressive in a losing cause against the Lions last week from inside centre – a position usually reserved for Sharks captain and Springbok André Esterhuizen. Julius normally finds himself at 13 but his bustling runs from 12 caught the

New Zealand Herald rugby writer Gregor Paul has cast doubt over the long-term future of the newly launched Nations Championship. The 12-team competition will pit the Sanzaar nations – South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina – alongside invitational sides Japan and Fiji, against the Six Nations teams across the July and November Test windows.

Australia and New Zealand are reportedly pushing for radical changes to rugby’s laws, including proposals that could see scrums replaced by mauls. That is the claim made by former Test referee Mathieu Raynal following heated discussions at World Rugby’s Shape of the Game summit in London. Administrators and officials have gathered to debate potential law

A Springbok wing has signed with French third-division side Narbonne until the end of the season. The club confirmed the move this week, describing Aphiwe Dyantyi as a “powerful and hard-running” back capable of playing at centre or on the wing. Dyantyi, who burst onto the international scene in 2018 and won the World Rugby

Springbok great Schalk Burger has hit back at claims that Super Rugby is not missing South Africa. SA’s four major clubs left Super Rugby in 2020 to join the Vodacom URC, but debate continues over whether the southern hemisphere competition has lost something in their absence. Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley recently suggested the

Former England prop Joe Marler has crowned Bakkies Botha the most feared rugby player of the professional era. But he’s controversially labelled Springbok enforcer Eben Etzebeth a “fake tough guy”. Marler was asked on the Hits Different show to pick the game’s ultimate hardman in a knockout bracket featuring rugby’s biggest hitters from 2008 onwards.

South Africa’s derby double-header this Saturday highlights the brutal demands of the Vodacom URC, writes MARK KEOHANE. Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane argues that while France’s Top 14 may be the best domestic competition, it cannot match the URC for cross-border travel, seasonal disruption and scheduling complexity across five countries and two hemispheres. “It is often