Sports

A Wallabies veteran will hit a new landmark this weekend when he becomes the first Australian to play 200 Super Rugby games. ACT Brumbies prop James Slipper will enter rarefied air on Sunday when he takes the field in Christchurch against the Crusaders. It will also bring the 36-year-old one step closer to the all-time […]

Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson is expecting big things from new recruit Vernon Paulo. The 24-year-old linked up with the Cape club from the Cheetahs at the beginning of February, and has already been part of the squad’s training sessions as they prepare for their derby against the Lions in Johannesburg at the end

JP Pietersen says a telling moment in his first meeting as interim coach revealed just how much work lay ahead at the Sharks. The former Sharks and Springbok winger, who was confirmed as permanent head coach on Wednesday after stepping in for John Plumtree in December, recalled being stunned by the players’ response – or lack

France captain Antoine Dupont finds himself in the eye of a salary cap breach storm as the Six Nations champions prepare to face Italy. An article last week in French sports newspaper L’Equipe looked into suspect payments made to scrumhalf Dupont and his Toulouse teammate Anthony Jelonch, which it said could be designed to help

Former Italy prop Cherif Traore believes the Azzurri are no longer Six Nations passengers and have what it takes to topple France on Sunday. Italy head to Lille brimming with belief after opening their campaign with a win over Scotland and pushing Ireland all the way on the road, leading at half-time before narrowly falling

A South African-born lock will extend his stay with English champions Bath for another season after putting pen to paper on a new one-year deal. Former Stormers hard man Quinn Roux, 35, has become a key figure in Bath’s engine room, particularly during a second-row injury crisis this season, and his renewal follows new deals

Springbok lock Ruan Nortje will captain the Vodacom Bulls against Boland in Wellington on Friday but there is still no sign of Cameron Hanekom. Nortje leads a 34-man group for the clash at Boland Stadium (5:30pm kick-off), with several frontline Springboks unavailable. Prop Wilco Louw, flyhalf Handre Pollard and winger Kurt-Lee Arendse are completing the

Frans Steyn will spearhead the Cheetahs’ high-performance strategy following the pending departure of CEO Rory Duncan. The Cheetahs announced on Wednesday that Steyn, currently director of rugby, will lead efforts to blend their traditional attacking flair with modern systems designed to compete at the highest level. The focus, according to the Bloemfontein-based union, is on

The Sharks have confirmed their new coaching and high-performance structures. At the centre of it is JP Pietersen, who has been appointed permanent head coach after serving in an interim capacity since John Plumtree stepped down. “This jersey has shaped who I am,” said the former Sharks and Springbok wing. “The Sharks have given me

The Sharks have lost a talented playmaker to Vodacom URC rivals as the flyhalf roster in Durban becomes more and more crowded. The club announced Jean Smith’s departure on Tuesday and his European journey has come full circle. The 23-year-old flyhalf, son of former Springbok and current Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith, will join