Sports

SA Rugby general manager for high performance Dave Wessels has praised Rassie Erasmus for creating a “golden era” of South African rugby. Erasmus’ tenure – both as director of rugby and Springbok head coach – has delivered unprecedented dominance: back-to-back World Cup titles in 2019 and 2023, a British & Irish Lions series victory in […]

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has named a 40-man group for a short, but significant, Sydney camp from 5-7 January, marking the beginning of Australia’s 2026 Test season reset. The players will gather for three days alongside the Wallabies’ coaching and high-performance staff before returning to their Super Rugby Pacific franchises to prepare for the new

Sir Matt Williams is at it again. The outspoken Australian, long known as the Springboks’ harshest critic, has ripped into the quality of this year’s Investec Champions Cup, describing several matches as “an absolute mess” and accusing South African clubs of dragging down the prestige of Europe’s flagship competition. “The standard of some matches this

La Rochelle coach Ronan O’Gara will have to watch his team play from the stands at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday. The Irishman will be serving the last of his two-match ban against the Stormers after receiving a red card in the Top 14 defeat to Pau. The former Ireland flyhalf repeatedly remonstrated with

The Vodacom Bulls have been dealt an untimely Investec Champions Cup setback with one of their young flyers sidelined. Hot-stepping young wing Cheswill Jooste missed last week’s loss to defending champions Bordeaux Begles and hasn’t made the trip to England for Saturday’s match against the Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens. The 19-year-old Junior Springbok, one

Andre Esterhuizen’s 100th match arrives at the moment the Sharks need a giant performance most, writes MARK KEOHANE. Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane argues that Esterhuizen has become the prototype for the Springboks’ new hybrid era: a midfielder enforcer with the body of a blindside flanker and the presence of a tighthead. Rassie Erasmus didn’t just

Andre Esterhuizen will captain the Sharks in Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup match against Saracens at Kings Park. The midfielder is among several returning Springboks, including hooker Bongi Mbonambi, flank Siya Kolisi, scrumhalf Grant Williams and utility back Ethan Hooker, who starts at outside centre. Aphelele Fassi has also recovered from an ankle injury suffered against

An emotional JP Pietersen says he wants to restore Sharks’ pride through action, not words. “I want to bring back the fight and the pride for the jersey. Not by talking. By doing.” pic.twitter.com/uZWIotsFRN — The Sharks (@SharksRugby) December 11, 2025 The post Watch: JP wants Sharks to ‘bring back the fight’ appeared first on

Three young South African stars make Ruck.co.uk‘s list of most exciting young prospects in rugby. At No 9 is 21-year-old prop Zachary Porthen, who earned three Test caps on the Springboks’ end-of-year tour. “A front-row powerhouse with frightening upside,” writes Ruck.co.uk. “Porthen combines raw scrummaging muscle with surprising mobility, smashing carriers and hammering rucks with

Boeta Chamberlain says he and Stefan Coetzee have given the Newcastle Red Bulls some valuable intel on the Lions ahead of Saturday’s EPCR Challenge Cup clash. READ: Lions ready to punch back Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images The post Watch: Newcastle tap into Saffa network appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Boeta Chamberlain says he and