Sports

The Lions have made four changes to their match 23 for Saturday’s Vodacom URC clash against Connacht at Ellis Park. The barnstorming Batho Hlekani starts at blindside flank with Ruan Venter moving to the second row to replace the injured Etienne Oosthuizen. The bench sees returns for hooker Morné Brandon and utility forward Siba Qoma. MORE: […]

The Ospreys have strongly rejected accusations that they “cheated” in their win against the Sharks by forcing the match to go to uncontested scrums. However, two of the props who came off injured have been selected to start against Cardiff on Friday night. “There has been a lot of talk, and I haven’t read through

Hacjivah Dayimani and Dylan Miller will make their first appearances for the Stormers XXIII against the Sharks U23 at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. The SA Rugby U23 Cup clash kicks off at 4pm following the Vodacom URC encounter between the Stormers and the Glasgow Warriors. Miller slots in at fullback alongside Suleiman Hartzenberg and

Three Springbok front-rowers have opened up about the brutal pre-2019 World Cup training camp that sparked unfounded doping accusations. A photo of shirtless Bok players, showing off chiselled physiques, went viral on social media in the build-up to the tournament in Japan. The photo was also recently used for The Telegraph’s article that slammed the significant

After stunning the Stormers in Cape Town, Connacht have shifted their focus to another major South African scalp. The Irish side travel to Johannesburg for Saturday’s crucial Vodacom URC clash against the Lions, hoping to complete a rare clean-sweep of their South African tour. Connacht beat the Stormers 33-24 last week and will take confidence

Coach Sylvester Booysen has revealed the reasons for Garsfontein’s giant-killing schools rugby success this season. After opening their campaign with a 29-26 defeat to Jeppe, the Pretoria side beat Stellenberg 21-20 and Paarl Boys’ High 31-28 at the North-South Tournament before edging rivals Affies 38-34 in a thriller last weekend. Booysen believes continuity has been

Todd Blackadder believes New Zealand Rugby will struggle to stop its biggest stars from taking lucrative overseas deals between World Cups. The former Crusaders coach says the trend is only growing, with elite All Blacks increasingly heading to Japan before returning home in time to push for World Cup selection. That pattern has already played

JJ van der Mescht is emerging as a serious Springbok option for 2026, with former Bok stars urging Rassie Erasmus to utilise the giant lock. The call comes as the world champions battle mounting concerns in the second row following injuries to key veterans Eben Etzebeth and RG Snyman. Snyman is facing a lengthy spell

A top-of-the log Vodacom URC clash between the Stormers and Glasgow has been undermined by baffling broadcast scheduling, writes MARK KEOHANE. Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane says Saturday’s 1:45pm kick-off at Cape Town Stadium shows a failure to understand South African rugby audiences, particularly in the Mother City, the country’s strongest spectator base. This should have

Sharks coach JP Pietersen has thrown his support behind the stream of young talent who have stepped forward amid a deepening injury crisis. Teenagers like Luan Giliomee and Zekhethelo Siyaya have been thrust into the spotlight in recent weeks, and Pietersen has been impressed by how they have taken to the big stage. “On Saturday,