Sports

Vincent Koch expects the scrum to play a defining role when the Sharks face the Lions in Saturday’s Vodacom URC derby at Ellis Park, writes LINDIZ VAN ZILLA. South African teams dominate the URC scrum statistics, with the Vodacom Bulls leading the way. The men from Pretoria have won 65 scrums and lost just two […]

Scotland’s preparations for their Six Nations trip to Cardiff have been hampered by injuries to three key players. Scottish Rugby confirmed that flank Jamie Ritchie (knee), No 8 Jack Dempsey (bicep) and winger Jamie Dobie (shoulder) all picked up injuries during the win over England at Murrayfield. Ritchie, who impressed on his return to the

Varsity Cup teams can turn down a conversion attempt and instead take a tap to attempt to score another try. Here’s how it works … Go for the conversion or decline and take the tap The newest innovation in the #VarsityCup served up some drama in round one. Here’s a reminder of how it works

Sharks prop Vincent Koch says Saturday’s Vodacom URC match against the Lions at Ellis Park could determine which side reaches the playoffs. All four South African teams are in the top 10 on the log, with the Sharks set to face the Lions and a resurgent Vodacom Bulls away over the next fortnight. “These next

Clive Woodward has urged England coach Steve Borthwick to start flank Henry Pollock against Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday and pick a No 10 who can get the attack firing. England’s 12-match winning run came to an abrupt halt with a 31-20 defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield last Saturday, ending their hopes of a first

Eddie Jones has compared New Zealand rugby’s current turmoil to Manchester United after the departure of Alex Ferguson. Speaking on the Rugby Unity podcast, the Japan coach weighed in on the fallout from Scott Robertson’s recent exit as All Blacks boss, suggesting the problems run deeper than one man. “It’s smelling a little bit like

Angus Ta’avao has shared the devastating news that his eight-year-old son, Leo, has passed away. On Tuesday, the Highlanders and All Blacks front-rower posted on social media: “We are heartbroken to share that our beautiful boy Leo has gained his angel wings. After a brief battle in PICU, Leo passed away surrounded by his loved

Eastern Province have been forced to cancel a scheduled warm-up match against the Cheetahs, disrupting both teams’ SA Cup preparations. Netwerk24 reports that EP played practice matches against the Border Bulldogs and the SWD Eagles over the past two weeks, suffering a slew of injuries to their loosehead prop ranks. In the latter fixture, the

Ireland badly need either Sam Prendergast or Jack Crowley to step forward and end the bitter debate over who is their undisputed first-choice flyhalf. Both have vied to be anointed the successor to Johnny Sexton since he retired following the heartbreaking 2023 World Cup quarter-final defeat by New Zealand. Both are talented – some countries

Former Leinster CEO Mick Dawson believes the Stormers’ youth pipeline and ability to retain top talent will be key to their future success. Netwerk24 reports that Dawson, now a director of Stormers Rugby, serves on the board at the request of Ardagh Glass Packaging Group, a 50% shareholder in Red Disa Investments. Fynbos Equity owns